SoccerWise - Concacaf, U.S. Open Cup and more w/Michele Giannone (Apple TV) & Christian Pulisic Talk with Matt Doyle

Episode Date: May 1, 2026

Michele Giannone, reporter for MLS on Apple TV, joins David for the first half of the show to talk a busy week already with Concacaf Champions Cup, U.S. Open Cup and more. Then Matt is back to talk about the USMNT, and Christian Pulisic’s performance heading into the World Cup.7:30 LAFC downs Toluca in Leg 1 and Schedule Talk25:48 Surridge-less Nashville battles Tigres in 1st Leg loss32:20 No Cupsets in the U.S. Open Cup, Quarterfinals Matchups42:35 James Rodriguez Conundrum, Minnesota-Columbus Preview48:40 The State of Christian Pulisic, Santiago Giménez, Eredivise 1:07.32 Polish FA hanging out with Julian Hall’s mom, USMNT GK chatter

Hey, everybody. Welcome back to Soccer Wise, David Goss with you for a big episode, two of the best friends at this show. We've got Matt Doyle coming up in a little bit for our weekly USM&T segment in which we are getting you ready for the World Cup. We will talk about all the biggest news around Christian Pulisic, because that's most of what people want to talk about as well as some of the other big storylines that we have gotten to from this week. But first, we're going to dig into a massive midweek of games U.S. Open Cup and Conca Calf and who else to do it with. And one of my favorites, McKelley G&Oen-Michelli, second time in a week. Second time in a week?

Well, we got to have dinner on Friday and we're all in a show together. First time I was off air, off air. Yeah, first time it was unofficial. Unofficial. Yeah, I'm excited to be here. I cancel a round of golf to be here. So if that's not love, I don't know what else. I will say because the first time we hung out was just a conversation about golf.

And I don't play golf or watch golf. You ask you and our friend. You ask good questions. You ask good questions. Yeah. Yeah. I'm a good journalist at heart. So if people are passionate about a topic, I can talk about them no matter what it is forever.

It's the like fake passion people where they're like, oh yeah, I love this thing. Then you ask two questions. Like, I don't really know. And it's like maybe it's not really your thing. I learned a lot about Augusta, Georgia and whatever else. I just hope my wife takes her family and I don't have to go because it just seems like a lot. As nice as you made it sound, just seems like a lot. I think if you have the opportunity, you should do it.

It's a lifetime situation. It feels like a lot to get the opportunity, which I'd be shocked if I did considering I'm not that invested in it. And I would hope that it would be. It's the experience. Yeah, for sure. It's the experience. Love an in-person sporting event. I'm very excited.

I'm going to get two this week. So I'm going to the Baller League in Miami to support our own Susanna Fuller as well as Whitty on on the broadcast as well and then I am going to a USL League one game this weekend because one Knoxville. Shout out to the Knox. Tough US Open Cup game are playing FC Naples, which I am shocked how close that is located to my home. I didn't realize. Yeah, it's like less than two hours. Yeah, I used to go to Naples all the time because I was in word. you're a little bit south, but I was in western north.

It was a straight line to Naples. I was like 80 minutes. Yeah, technically my, because I live on 8th Street, Cayaocho. It's Spanish. And technically, if you take it, it becomes, yeah, it becomes tammy way. I had, sorry to interrupt, but I had, um, on Saturday, well, we had dinner on Friday because I did Miami's game on Saturday, Miami's, uh, New England. And for lunch on Saturday next to my hotel, because I was staying.

next to a stadium and the airport. I had a Cubano sandwich. Oh, my God. I forgot how good they, how great they were. Did I say, I don't think I sent it to you, but Davy, David Ruiz on Inter Miami,

his mom, I think, owns, I guess, Honduran restaurant. That's not far from the stadium. Like, it's in one person called like the Little Havana area, but not specifically Little Havana, like Little Americas or something, which I've never heard any other person call it. So I'm not going to believe it.

But it's in the area. So next time for the next Inter-Mahy game, we'll have to go there to support him. And then you can go watch the game and see him do his thing. No, they didn't fire a coach this time. So it was a less of an full weekend for Inter-M Miami. For everyone listening on Sirius Radio, thank you for being here. We appreciate it. For everyone listening to via podcast, we love you.

And thanks for being here as well. Okay, we're going to talk about all the midweek stuff. We'll do a little weekend preview as well, and then we'll get into our U.S. men's national team. Off the top, we talked a lot on Monday show about what's going on in Vancouver and saving the caps. I don't think any of the news since then has been positive, but nothing's been groundbreaking to sort of change what we talked about on Monday.

If you haven't yet, go read Matt Doyle's piece at Tactics Free Zone. You should subscribe to his newsletter anyway, but he made the piece that he wrote about the cap. as someone who is Hartford Whaler's fan, whose father was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. My family was New York Giants baseball fans when they lost that team, and now we have sadly fallen on the New York Mets.

But it is a terrible story, and I think what we've learned from the Save the Crew is that our voices matter, and we have to be as adamant as we can. So we're going to continue talking about it, but it was just messages sort of coming out from the league and from the city, and a lot of it is politics, a lot of it is BS.

And so cutting through that is going to be hard, but we'll bring on some experts to do so as we go forward. One other piece of news to hit before we dig in is a big announcement that Major League Soccer made around MLS Next Pro coming out today, so that MLS Next Pro is going to be acquired by a private equity firm that is going to work with it to manage it from a central site and has a whole business model that they're building in which they're going to move most of the,

the teams to small markets around, um, around the cities that the two teams are based out of, builds specific buildings for them and create fan bases. Um, so the management fund is called KKR. Uh, and they created something called hometown soccer holdings. Uh, and so that is sort of this plan to help push MLS Next Pro forward. I'm not going to talk about it a lot because I'm very uninterested by anything a private equity group does. But I will say this. I am not super hopeful. I wouldn't say that I see a clear business model for MLS Next Pro anyway, but I don't know that this is going to be the solution.

There are grand ideas at the start of every project. It would be shocking to me if they found 34 buildings that they could build. Converting baseball stadiums like what Huntsville has done seems a little bit more possible, but look at what USL has gone through from a central location trying to affect real estate plans in local markets that they're not really connected to. I don't hate the idea of two teams playing in separate markets as minor league teams that can bring pro soccer and live soccer to different fans. And I do think Chattanooga is the model of what everyone is trying to build. Part of that affects then your ability to use it as a pathway.

Can players be with the first team training consistently and then be in a whole new market to play games? So I think that's a bit of a worry. And then, of course, the question is just the competitive nature of the league. a few independent teams we know i know we've got more slated to come in i don't trust it with lower division soccer until i see it um but i think overall the quality level of mLS next pro has been underwhelming i would love to see a combination once again with usel i think that's a dream scenario but i don't know that that is possible in either category anymore um so we'll see what happens okay let's like into the games though because we were excited for this week mckele it was

the big ones, the semifinals, MLS First League MX. We've got a special interview that we're going to be running on First Touch tomorrow with former technical director of Pumas and Puebla, Eduardo Saracho. And he talked a lot about the growth of the game in Mexico, where things stand right now, and of course this relationship. But the testing mark is always Conca Calf champions. It is not League's Cup, it is this. It's not Kempione's Cup, it's this.

And I think there was a lot of hope with the two teams coming into it. let's start with LAFC because it's the most recent thing we saw 2-1 win on Wednesday night over Toluca Toluca, Toluca I've been the best team in the region for the last 12 months I will start by saying could have been 3-1 based off one specific call that didn't go their way but overall what did you make of the matchup to start

I'm going to say this and I'm going to start and this point is going to be more relevant when we talk about Nashville. But before the games, and I obviously watch you guys and listen to you guys on Monday, and I think we all agree that before the games,

we thought Nashville had more of a chance against Tigres than LASC does against Toluca. And what LASC did, and again, this point, I think it's more relevant to Nashville, on these stages against the big Mexican teams,

with the roster with the rosters when we compare rosters right what LASC did and what Seattle did against Puma when they won in

2022 and when Nashville did against America on the last round winning at Estabia Osteca are sports miracle

Toluca and Tigres I saw you put this on social and I forgot about it it's a sports miracle and you can't and but

and then you have fans saying, whoa, but the MLS, you know, the fans that like to hate on MLS or the Mexican fans that obviously they're going to defend League MX. Oh, but you guys are always showing graphics and nice powerpoints about how Inter-Miam and LFC are $1.5 billion dollar validation. That's not what we're talking about. That's not what we're talking about. What we're talking about here is that Toluca and Tigres are filled in six, seven, eight

players that would be at minimum, max 10 players on MLS, if not all of them, DPs. And then when you have the handicap in the case of LASC, going into the first game, yes, at home, but you're playing the best team in the North American continent, I will say even longer, I will say for the last two years, So Luca has been the best. Without your best player, which is Dennis Buanga,

you can make a case that the best player is son or the way he's been playing lately, Hugo Loris, and he showed yesterday why he's probably alongside Matt Turner, the best goalkeeper in Major League Soccer right now.

It's winning that game yesterday, I thought it was very impressive. I think they were better than Toluca for a big part of the game. I know, and I've stuck with people that covered Toluca before this game,

and they said, hey, Toluca is going to play a playoff game on Saturday. Yeah. So they might want to, we're probably not going to see the real Toluca, at least on an intensity and a physical point. And I think we saw that. I think we saw Toluca a little bit on the back foot sometimes. We didn't see the real Toluca because now you're going to have, first on the back of their minds, you know you have that second.

leg at home at Alti during Toluca. And you're facing Pacchuka on Saturday on the first game of La Ligilla. So it's a very tough, tough schedule. I think LASC did the best they could without Buanga, with LORIS being the hero again. And winning the game, it kind of sucks that Toluca scored the goal.

Like you said, could have been 3-1. It's 2-1. I don't think that's going to be enough. But kudos to L-AFC to get the win at home without Buwanga. That's pretty, that's pretty. much what I can say. Yeah, I think in the whole conversation about

the miracle and what it is and where these teams stand, I think LAAFC are one of the best non-week-linked teams in Major League Soccer. There is not really, in a matchup like this, even without Bwanga, there isn't

really a player on the field from Lafc side where you're like, that player doesn't belong. Which for MLS, I think, has been the gap, right? We've already established this million times. The DPs for MLS teams, often are better than the top player on a league MX team and maybe the top five players are equal or better. It's where you go five through 12 that's sort of, or five through 14, where it's sort of the issue. And I think L.AFC are really strong in those places, the ability of what they've done

to bring Schwanier and to bring to Far I in, right? These are guys off big numbers that can still hang in a game like this, Delgado, Tillman. And then I think Shaffelberg is sort of like the gap player of like on his day he's a difference maker on his off day he's not i thought he was pretty good in this game and and played the role pretty well of what lafc asked for but the lack of that extra threat with bwanger or the extra finisher i think did gum up some of the big opportunities i thought taluka came out in the first half and controlled the play and controlled the game and i thought lafc responded really well in the second half they were electric from the opening whistle of the second half and they went after the game and it's frustrating because that's what we want from them all the

time and yeah i know mark dos Santos went off post game about the schedule which i have something to say about that yeah which i just like to see that emotion and like energy from him because you just don't get that from him from external very often um so i think at a minimum like i appreciate that uh and i think overall for this lafc team they played five in the back they used the wingbacks you would have assumed it would have been Schaffelberg, that would be the difference maker, and it was Sergi Palencia. All the big chances came from him, and I think part of that's credit to David Martinez, like the focus he now takes, where he's coming in off that right side, he's sitting in the right half channel. You don't want to leave him around one defender, so second defender

comes and tries to get close. I thought in the second half, it pinned Jesus Gallardo, which is a huge factor anytime he played Toluca. He's, what, the lone, sorry, him and Vega, the two players who got called up to the World Cup roster out of this team, but he's one of the best fullbacks in the region. And so I thought for all of that, I think LAFC had a really strong performance. Two ones, probably not enough, but it puts you in the running. And like, you're not going to perfect this thing where you win three zero at home every time and you go and you try and stop the bleeding. Like, you're going to have to go and beat someone at some point. And LAFC at least, you know, like we talk about with seasons, you can't win the Sporter Shield in the first half of the season,

but you could lose it. And I think LAFC, didn't lose the tie in this game. And so they've got an opportunity going down to Toluca. But so look at everything that you said. All of that, all those little things that start to add up, you want to one at home. Yes. It's not enough. And it's probably not going to be enough.

Again, LASC, everything with a major league soccer team. And I think LASC is like you said is the exception. because at any point of the game, you felt that a player was out of their depth, which was not the case with Nashville. I think a couple of players at Nashville felt, especially the physicality of the game. But that's a different conversation

because Tigres is probably the most physical team in Major League Soccer out of the big teams. But again, we're talking about LAFC Toluca. But then, you're missing Buanga, right? So everything needs to go perfect. And it did. Loris was, it did in the, in the, in a vacuum, right? Yeah.

Loris was incredible. Although I would say the Angulo goal is not the best finish. I mean, it's an incredible setup and shot for him. It's probably not Lorice's best moment, but the save in the first half, the triple save, whatever it is, is the save of the year. But you don't, you don't have their best to look at the left Alexis Vega on the bench, for example. Again, because their minds are. probably on Saturday against Pachuca because the leagueilla,

their playoffs, start on Saturday. And again, I think this was best case scenario for Toluca, the way the game ended up going. And it was best case scenario for L-AFC too.

But now you have the second leg at home at altitude. Buanga is going to go back. It's coming back. But, and we're going to see how Toluca is going to be physically, it's going to be mentally,

it's going to be after that important game against Pachuca. Right, you're playing knockout games. You're playing playoff games three straight times. Yeah. And potentially four. So actually the schedule, which Dos Santos was complaining about, could actually end up benefiting LFC.

Right. Because LASC has now the option to rotate the whole squad against San Diego for the weekend. Toluca doesn't have that. I mean, they could, but I don't think they will because we're talking about Ligian, right? Yeah. And so I think it's not going to be enough, but LFSI is alive. And again, but everything needs to go right on, until on, at Toluca on on next Wednesday. So do you disagree with Mark Dos Santos's complaints?

Yes and no. I'm going to, I'm going to agree with you because I really like when an MLS coach talks about that and shows that passion and shows that that will. willingness of trying to change what the league's the league MLS needs to still change to try to approach league MX when we are trying to compete against them on a plane on a playing level field and I go back when LAFC got destroyed by Leon on the 20203 final where Sherandolo complained very open zero I didn't get destroyed but yes the second leg should have won that game. They should have won that game. The second leg at home. Yeah. No, I don't disagree with you. Leone. But Destroyed makes it sound like, I think Toluca beat SKC 7-1 one time in Kansas City. Okay, I'm going to take this Troy back. They, they, Leon was ex, Leon, the second leg, LFC was at home and Leon outplay them the night of

minutes. Leon was by far the best team. And Sharon Dolo publicly talk about the need of making changes because the rosters are, and how the teams are constructed are not fair. And I appreciate that. What I don't appreciate or I don't agree, it's about the schedule and about his complaint about, oh, who is the genius that made this schedule. Again, Toluca is playing a leagueiega game, a playoff game, a winner-go-home game on Saturday.

LATC, if they won, can see all the starters. against San Diego on the weekend. And if you're telling me that League MX is shifting the schedule, so Toluca is not playing on the weekend, why would MLS do that? It's the same rules for both teams. So that's where I disagree. If it would have been like Toluca is getting an advantage from League MX

and MLS is not giving that advantage to LACC, then I would agree. But it's the same playing field and the same rules for both. themes. That's the part that I don't agree with. I pretty much agree with you of like, I don't know that I love the idea of a league moving game because like what if it's for MLS teams? But look at Europe. Look Arsenal.

PSG, Bayern. Well, I think apparently this I have not looked into. I do think actually France has moved games for PSG. Okay, where Arsenal also Bayern Arsenal and Manchester Seattle are still playing on Saturday and Sunday and then again. And MDS's other comment was about Brazil with Copa lib where he would know better than me. I think he's worked down there.

He's lived down there with Flamengo and Fluminense. And but my question that becomes like is if four MLS teams make a semi-final, are you going to move all four of their games? Are you doing it for quarterfinals? Like where's the line? Here's the one thing that I can get behind with it. It's wild that they played midweek last week, like an MLS game midweek. I can understand being like, so in a two-week span,

they'll play one, two, three, four MLS games and a Concaf game. That complaint I get, which is the teams that have qualified for Concaf, there should be some sort of out of, if they're playing last Wednesday, great, then they don't play on the weekend, right? They get one of those games off. That part I can understand. But I agree with you where it's like, okay, if you want to take the focus there, that's fine.

You've got a second team. Wow, look, MLS Next Bro, how great is it? It's got its own private equity and they're going to build stadiums and all that. stuff play those players play your depth i mean and mark dosanto's in a tough spot with this where it's like bro you have literally not rotated your squad so you've kind of put yourself up against it on this one and i think that part like sort of falls away for me um but the one thing i'll say for lfc so one i think the delgado offside thing is tough like it's it's tough to one say he does impede the play and two to be sure he's even offside but

But with Buonga coming back, they're going to go down and counter. They always were. They were always going to have to score goals. There was no world in which they were going to score enough in this game to be able to see it out down at Toluca. And they are set up for it. So, like, again, they didn't lose it this time. And if they go down there and they score a goal, like you put some danger in them,

Galaxy went and scored two. So not the exact same game states. It was a leg one versus leg two. Toluca, I think, opened up a bit more. because they didn't really fear Galaxy as much. And as you said, they're going to be either coming off the most devastating loss of the season where they lose against Pachuca and they're out

or they are now moving into a semi-final once again in Ligia and there is that added focus. Plus Alexis Vega is gone soon. Jesus Gaiardo is gone soon for a World Cup. Like there's probably an internal conversation of like, okay, how many minutes do they have? Actually, there's a scenario where both are not, available for the game because the Mexican national team,

they started their camp that day, May 6th. May 6th. May 6th. May 6. So they might already be gone. Yeah. For example, Chivas is going to lose like half a team for the Ligilla. So I'm not, I honestly don't know if they're going to give Toluca the opportunity to have Gallardo and Vega for that game. And then they're going to go to a World Cup camp.

But there's a scenario where, where the Mexican national teams, no, we want all the players first day, which is next Wednesday, here. So there's a chance that Toluca is going to be without Gallardo and without Vega. I have to double check that, but I know for a fact that they want all the players May 6th in Mexico City to start a camp, which was, that's a big, I'm sorry, I'm taking a detour. It's absolutely insane.

Chivas is losing. So here's a thing. Let me just say this to you. So we had Eduardo Soratra on our show. We talked about it. He said that Agarei, when he took the job last year, came to every club and talked to them about the idea, and every club agreed.

Okay. So he said it's terrible. What's happening to Chivas is terrible. Toluca is in a bad spot. But that they all signed up for it for the good of the game, for the ability for the national team to compete at its highest level. So I totally get what you're saying. My big thing, and I said this same on the show,

was Chivas can't complain. You can't make your whole identity. We only sign Mexican players. We are Mexican pride. And we want to shift the rules because other teams are bringing in. No, I don't think they're complaining. I'm just saying, I think it's crazy. Me.

I'm saying it's, I think it's crazy. They're losing their starting goalkeeper. They're losing the starting number nine. They're losing the, they're starting number 10. They're losing one of their centerbacks. They're losing like five daughters. I think pretty surprising, ritual. that Desmond's not in the team as well.

Like it could have been six players. And obviously Marcel Ruiz was hoping he'd be a part of it for Toluca. I still don't understand what's happening. He tore his ACL. He didn't get surgery. He's playing now. If you can play on a torn ACL, why are people getting,

like I just, and I think you see a little bit of it in his game, right? He's a guy who I think you physically feel him when he plays. Like he's one of those guys. The way he throws his body around and covers ground with the technique he has what makes him elite and he's more shuffling play but he doesn't look like he's limping like he doesn't look off the speed he didn't make the roster but just a wild thing that's a shocker shocker yeah i know well but i think agarie's like i don't know that i'm getting 100% of you and i don't know that i want to take the

risk now it is also two months ahead you could bring him to this camp because they're bringing training players yeah hiro torres shout out to hiro torres making the training camera my guy um for getting there but yeah, we will see. Let's talk about the other game a little bit. Nashville, the one zero loss at home to Tigris. No Sam Sarage, obviously a huge part of this one. He's been in-out of the lineup over the last few weeks with some injuries. And Tigris, they get the victory.

I said it coming into this round. I think on Hell Correa behind Messies, the best signing in the region over the last, whatever number you want to put, two, five, ten. Basically since Jinyak, I think he might be. He is a world-class player. he is fully bought in. He is capable of this, which is that quick touch and release, but he does it all at such a high speed. And he fits to Lucas so well, or sorry, Tigris so well, because they don't really always care about possession. They'll have it sometimes,

but it's not like their DNA and their core. And he's fine because of the Athletico Madrid life of like, okay, if we're playing against the ball, I'll be a killer in transition. I'll press. If we've got the ball, then I'm the best player on the field in possession. And in saying all of that, I agree with you that Nashville at times looked off of it and looked overwhelmed. It is not a class of difference. And they were probably capable of getting a result out of this one. But there is a gap between Tigris and Club America. I said that before they went into this game and I feel the same way now.

Yeah, there's a gap between that and there's a gap about what Nashville and an LFC can offer. and if that makes sense. And also the experience. Also, LASC has more experience in this type of games and competitions. Nashville, again, Nashville has a less margin of error than LASC, even though I think Toluca is a better team that Tigres. But Tigres still top class in Mexico. And they're more physical.

I think they are of the biggest teams in Mexico, they're most physical. And you saw it on Tuesday night. But again, we're going back to the main issue, which is losing one of your D.P. If you're a major league soccer, and you just didn't lose your DP. You just your goal, you lost your goal scorer and probably your best player. Because I think Honey Mukta is having a great season. Maybe his numbers are not showing that, but I think he's having a great season. But this team, it's, if you take out Honey, I think there are some of other players like Kassim, for example,

that can play the honey role. But there's no one that can play the Samson Ridge role. I really like what Madrigal can do. But for example, how many crosses did Nashville like 36, 38? Something, something in that range. And there's no Samson Ridge in the box. So that I think if I didn't hear it incorrectly, I think they were close to 30 crosses during the game.

And you go back to that handicap that MLS teams don't have the luxury of losing one of your GP players when you're going to face the big Mexican teams. Tigres is bringing off the bench, Marcelo Flores, Diego Linus, and Andre Pierre Guignac. Those three players came off the bench on Tuesday night. If you want the flip side of that, it's Matthew Coker and Ahmed Quasum and Daniel. love it's with Wobin's Pashis coming in late. Yeah. Again, it's, I don't want to, I don't want to put, I don't want to, I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses and I, and I can hear, I hear it, the Seattle South

founders, but we did it in 20, 22. Yes, you did it in 2022, but you, you don't have to have this argument right now. Okay, yeah, I'm not going to, I'm not going to, but I, I know what is that going to lead. I love you, Seattle fans, but. This is not the time for that argument. So I totally agree with you. And then...

I think Nashville did that really... I think Nashville had a good game. I do. But again, without so rich and not having that experience in facing a team that is very physical, as Tudas showed, I think it was a massive handicap.

I think one zero against, it's not a terrible result when you see that, when you put everything on the table. And they draw, against America at home, yeah, zero zero, you didn't, you didn't have a goal against going to Mexico. Now you have one and now you have to score at least multiple goals to advance in El Volcan, which is, in my opinion, the most difficult atmosphere environment in Mexico.

But, I mean, this Nashville team can, again, we need another sports miracle. Yeah, they need to go and win now because they need to be one goal up now. a win of any sort outside of 1-0, which seems unlikely. They go through. But so you don't have to start playing the aggregate game of like, well, 3-2, whatever, 3-1, any win gets them through. I think they showed at Club America. They're capable of it.

You're right about Surge. And I think that's where it's like, I really like Bajigal this season. That's when he's floating behind those two. Yes. And there's less focus on him. Eddie Tagseth going down early as well. He's not a chance creator for you, but he does. control the game a little bit.

And it felt like in this final 15 minutes of that first half, when the goal came, the game, the Nashville had lost control. And I thought they opened up, I mean, really strong. They put the ball in the back of the net, felt like a goal in opening five minutes. And then I thought they were pretty good. Then as Tigris started to get control, there wasn't anyone to put their foot on the ball for Nashville and say, let's get back to what we do and let's sort of dominate. this is now three, all three,

Conccaf knockouts, they don't score at home in the first leg. And I've said it, I said it for two weeks now. You can't leave this much meat on the bone in a series like this. You got away with it against, um,

against Miami. And I keep saying this with America. Like, yes, they are next to each other in the standings. Tigris does not care about a regular season. It does not mean anything to them. A Tigris in a knockout game is a different team.

And, uh, this is going to be the toughest game. that Nashville will ever play. But they've done the job for an MLS team, which is they've made me believe. And therefore, I'm going to go in with a little bit of hope. And the hope is what will kill you. Okay, let's suck U.S. Open Cup here.

No cup sets in the round. Shout out to one knocks. As we said, we're proud of you. Shout out to coach Ian Fuller. Braddillo Rodriguez, one of my favorite former MLS next pro players. So there you go. Once again, I keep having the tie-ins. I do like soccer on top of all of it.

but some some big time drama uh houston scores in the 90th minute to equalize against louisville uh and then goes and beats them in extra time okay poncée didn't realize you were going to wake up and have a moment now with a pretty nice goal and then the colorado rapids wild game they go to extra time um cosy thompson picks up a red card an extra time the rapids take the lead through georgie manungoo I still haven't seen a side angle on that shot. I don't really, or on that play, I don't really understand how he's on side, but there wasn't really much complaint about it.

And then attention gets called for a handball in the dying minutes of extra time. Colorado Springs equalizes, and then the shootout was unhinged. Colorado Springs misses early. Rapid score on all of them. The rapids have the fifth shot to win it saved. I can't remember names right now.

of who shot when. Then they both teams. So Colorado Springs misses on the sixth. Rapids have it. I think Atencio had that one saved. And then Colorado Springs misses on the seventh. And then the Rapids put it away and got the win on that seventh shot. Nico Hanson a big performance from him off the, you know, filling in angle for this Rapids team.

But no cup sets. All MLS heading into the next round. They were fun games. I think once again, you see that top piece for. championship can contend similar to what we're talking about with concaf but you can't make any mistakes it has to be perfect perfect and you see some of the you know louisville had a big opportunity that was saved off the line by houston laid on where it's like everything perfect but you just you're not going to generate enough chances to miss an opportunity like that and i think Colorado springs

they'll kick themselves like you go up a man even though it's quote unquote on the road it's what a 35 minute drive and um and you just you're not able to take the lead you go down a goal after going up and man is just something you can't bounce back from. So we are into the next round after NYCFC wiped the floor with Red Bulls on the road in the Hudson River Derby. So coming up on May 19th and May 20th, we will have our quarter final. So the east bracket, Orlando will host Atlanta. Orlando's game was wild against the revs.

And Columbus will host NYCFC. I think there's a clear, stronger side of that and less strong side. and Columbus and NYCFC if they were to win, they would host the semi-final and they would host the final. So you have to think the road to the championship right now runs through those two teams.

Yeah, I agree. Although I love what San Jose is doing. I know we're touching on the inside right now. So let's do, so St. Louis will host Houston. Colorado will host San Jose. San Jose cannot host the semi or the final. So they'll be on the road no matter what through the whole run.

Houston and St. Louis would both host the semifinals, and then they would travel to the East team to host the final. I really appreciate why, and then I go back to San Jose, no rotation. 11 stars, let's go. No mercy. They've moved one. Jasinski's gotten minutes. They've moved one or two guys, but it hasn't been like the main court.

The weekend versus midweek. Yeah. It's just like, yeah. We have Shakidis. We had Werner. We had everyone. We have the whole crew. Oh, shout out, Tim of Werner.

he just won player of the month, April, in MLS. Shout out. I voted for him second place. Matt Turner. Matt Turner. We did that. We'll do that conversation a little with Doyle later on about starting for the U.S. Let's say.

Let's say. I think Matt Turner is goalkeeper of the year as of now in MLS. Yeah, well, it's eight games in. Hey, hey, 10 games. Okay. Sorry. But yeah, I agree with you. I think San Jose, obviously, they are the best team left.

from what we're seeing week in and week out. I probably put NYCFC in second, which is tough to say right now with some of the weird results they've had, including the loss at Montreal. I am intrigued by St. Louis hosting a quarterfinal and a semifinal. I talked with Doyle on Monday that I'm de Mae Pilled,

Edward Lovin coming back from the tragic death of his wife. He scored and had the setup pass in this game and the goal he scores. It's not an easy finish. It's not an impossible finish, but there is someone there that you can set up and play for, right? How often have chances that have gone created, gone wasted for this team. And if you're St. Louis, this is the focus. Like, you're going to host a quarter and the potential to host a semifinal in a city that has as much history with this competition as any.

You are not going to win MLS Cup this year. You are not going to win any other trophy. You're not even going to be in the playoffs. Well, I don't know. I'm still hopeful about that, but fine. Do it. This is going to be your best chance. The other thing with the quarter final for everyone is,

so May 19th and 20th is the quarter, the semi is in September and the finals in October, which for teams that think they would be contending for playoffs, like don't set yourself up poorly. You know what I mean? Put everything in this quarter. Yeah. And then if you get to the semi and you're third in the west

or you're third in the east and you have a shot at the shield, and you want to sort of like then for some reason not take it as seriously, fine, that's a decision you make then. But you don't want to box yourself in here where you lose, season gets tanked, and all of a sudden you're not in a playoff contention spot, and you've got nothing to play for. If you think back to SKC, Peter Vermease's last full season, they made it to a final was the only thing they had to play for,

but you've got to set yourself up early for that. So I'd be surprised if every team didn't take this super seriously, but I'm looking at some of these, specifically in Orlando and a St. Louis, where you've got the chance to host and like this is it. There are three teams. If I'm running that team, it's guys,

MLS is done. It's U.S. Open Cup or boss. Starting right now, and I put it, I'm going to do a little power ranking. San Luis, Orlando, Atlanta. Yeah. Because when we're looking at the rest,

Columbus, New York City, Houston, Colorado, and San Jose, especially San Jose, are most likely going to be in the playoffs. As long as I will put New York City there. I think New York City should be one of the teams of the playoffs in the east.

Right now you will sharp in San Jose. I think Houston and Colorado should be fighting for a playing spot as long as Columbus in the east. But Atlanta United, Orlando and San Luis are not going to the playoffs. So again, if I'm running the team, especially like you said, if I'm San Luis, because everything that you just explain, and again, how cool would it be? be to in that venue in that city.

I mean, I wish they could host the final, but a semi will be great. It will be great. I mean, this quarter final is going to be great. Should be great. Hopefully the fans are going to turn out. And fans can understand that, hey, we're not doing great at MLS, but this is it. Like, hopefully the team can end great. I don't, again, I want to give the fans more credit in this case.

But if I, if I'm working on the marketing and sales on the team, everything that I do now is focusing on this quarter final day yeah everything we need a sellout we need everything that you can give us for that night and then we'll do it again for the semifinal at home in September that's that's that's that's the way uh I will see it it sucks that we're already in the quarterfinals there's there's no like there's wasn't a cup set yeah again shout out to to to Knoxville um but but but I like the group of teams that we have here because I think all of them are going to take it seriously and which it should be fun.

And having the semifinals on September should help for that. So here's the one thing that I find very interesting. And I will say this. One, I've spoken with some people at the Colorado Rapids, they stated with the Cozy Thompson trade with the Georgian Munungu pick up there like, we want to win Open Cup. So we need players for that.

The other thing to note with the semi and final being after the summer is for a team like St. Louis, that's clearly going to do work in the summer. summer that they didn't feel they could do in the preseason because new ownership group or sorry new management group atlanta i don't know what they're going to look like orlando new coach new build you probably believe that you're going to be in an even better place at that point and so that's something else to build for as well but the east will host the final i would be fascinated to find out where n ycfc is going to host a semi or a final and my guess would be it'll be at red bull arena

Yes. Maybe between the two stadiums they play in, it's possible with Yankees and City Field of like one of them's open, but they are the team that struggles the most with unexpected games. They have a little bit of lead time here. I guess in theory, the last game, the final, both, I mean, the Mets are already out. So both teams are probably eliminated by then. September, the season will still be going on right for baseball. But they, those buildings are figuring. fairly specific of like we don't want to do extra stuff because we have it planned like this is what the grass can handle and this is what we're putting in here. So it will just be interesting to see if NYCFC ends up hosting all the way through where they end up playing. But I think we've got some pretty tasty quarterfinal matchups. I think we're excited for what a semi final could look like. And it will be a big moment for a lot of these clubs, a number of which have not won it before. The ones that have know how big it is, right? Houston, Orlando, it's been a massive part of their history over the last few years to have won that. Let's close out here with a little MLS weekend action

before we jump to Doyle. You will be in Columbus for Columbus versus Minnesota for La Pravia. So seven, seven o'clock on Saturday. 6.30 La Previa, 7.30 kickoff. Okay. Well, we know that's not accurate. It's not seven 30 kickoff. Just go with it. Just go with it. Just go with it. You're going to probably see Hamas, maybe Joaquin Pereira, together. but it's interesting it's interesting because last game

Hamis got his first starting a game as a starter in in MLS after being sub in the 90th sec two minutes and then not playing at all in the two weeks prior

against LFC he played I think he played fairly well he created some chances Minnesota should have scored at least one of those against LFC Hamis started last last

week yesterday at their US Open Cup game, Joaquin Pereira started and Hamas was on the bench and Hamas came in for Pereira and last Saturday it was the opposite Hamas started and Joaquin perera came in for him like I think was at the 60th something minute so everything points out to Hamis starting on against Columbus on Saturday hopefully I mean that's I think that'll be that will be extra an extra boost to our Latino audience for La Previa and the people that watch the broadcast in Spanish, La Previa and the game alongside Ramesses Andobal.

And normally Miguel Gallardo, but Miguel is not going to be available for this weekend. We're going to have Daniel Chappella, who's one of the best Venezuelan guy. I think, in my opinion, the best sports journalist in Venezuelan sport history. That's just my opinion. Big, yeah, big words.

He knows that as I told her to his face. Yeah, I did Daniel. eat it. Accept it. Accept it. Accept my truth. Except me being nice. So against Columbus, that they have managed very well since sadly the Abu Ali injured. They switch some things around. Then they put Max Arfson as a right midfielder and he's been playing great. I know. We trashed it and then he's been shining. Which I never questioned. I never questioned. I never question max arson to be clear no no just the position on the field of course and then diego rossi instead of being playing that type of floating second striker 10 behind abou ali now he's

playing like a striker number nine like like he had done in the past especially at the beginning of last season when they didn't they were still looking for the kucho replacement yeah and uh the the rossi that we that won the golden boot in 2020 when he was number nine at l a fc playing along the alongside Carlos Vela. I think we're seeing that Diego Rossi at least tactically. What I'm going to say, though, going back to Minnesota and Hamas, right, there's five more games. So I ask, and I have a call with Minnesota's coaching in a few minutes to prep for a game for a broadcast. Like, what's the plan?

Are we putting Hamas fitness and Hamas priorities first? were putting the teams because in five games the World Cup comes and Hamas is not going to beat after the World Cup so yeah I understand I understand that Hamas gives you an opportunity to win yeah and if you ask the coach you say oh I'm going to put Hamis for the next five games if we can get five wins that was the purpose

but then you're leaving on the bench players like Joaquin like Pereira or Changkalae yeah that you're going to count on on them after World Cup and they've been especially Chanca Lai has been your best player as of now in the season. So I don't know. I don't know what the benefit of going full Hamis Rodriguez

for the rest of the until the World Cup break. I totally get what you're saying. I think it's heartening that when he has played, when he did play in the last game, he was good, right? So it's not like a pure, are we going to tank our team for this guy? What I would say, and I don't think anyone in Minnesota would agree, is him and Pereira should start together, be worse defensively than you expect to for five games.

Don't piss Joaquin Pereira off, who remember has already had transfer options come in for him, who is the core of your attack. That's my worry. Thomas Chonkhali, come on, dude. You don't have enough to be like, oh, I'm upset. Yeah, how much are you going to start over you? Fine.

But I would play the two of them. I'd be more open than I've been. I would accept that. I have one of the best covering midfielers behind them in the league. I know that I have strength at the centerback position, and I would build my team for now around those two behind Yaboa, accepted and move on. I think it's a great question, though, to ask of, like, what is the play?

At this point, we already asked that preseason. Now you're so far into the season where he was unavailable. What does he do for your team, and you don't want to throw things off? Okay. Other big games for the weekend, El Classico del Sol, Miami hosting Orlando for the first time in New Stadium. And then we have San Diego, L.A.F.C. close out Saturday night.

Obviously must win for San Diego. We've had some good matchups between those teams as well. We'll be interested to see what type of group LASC puts out there. I feel fairly safe in saying Dennis Buong is going to play a ton of minutes in that game, probably 90 plus because that's the way things have gone. And then there are two Sunday games to close out the weekend as well. So a little bit of a split schedule, I think 3.30 and 5.30 on Sunday. So some chance for all of us to hang out and watch the games.

We are on blue sky throughout all the games. posted on Instagram as well. If you're not a member of the Discord, you can join in there. Well, as we do every Thursday heading into the World Cup, we are here to talk a little national team a little bit deeper than what we do at the end of our Monday show. And of course, we do so with the legend. Matt Doyle, Doyle. As we prepare to get into this, I want you to know that I'm here, as I know you are,

a sensitive character. And sometimes things affect you very heavily. And Boston's actually true. Games, you know, everything can be bad. It's fine. So, yeah. So, yeah. So boys getting more reps in.

That was, that's absolutely fine. I'm okay with that. But I know as a man-manager, I have to appeal to my different characters. Tom, I need to challenge at all times in every way. If things are going great, I need to challenge him that they're not. With you, you're a little more sensitive. So I got to be there for you. Yeah, yeah, you need to be built up a little bit.

Yeah, exactly. This is what I would say about you. You're a very sensitive man and this drought is hitting you hard. You're also someone who struggles more. I'm just kidding. This, of course, is going to be our conversation a bit about Christian Pulisic. He is the face of the U.S. men's national team. He is one of the greatest players in the program's history.

He has a chance over the next few months to solidify himself as the greatest, for sure over his career. And he probably will end there, no matter what we say in this conversation. I think he will, Doyle. He is still like six years away from being at the end of his peak. But that could be part of the conversation we're going to have. And obviously, the angst for everyone coming into the World Cup has been a struggle. on the field for the U.S. men's national team

over the last year where he has failed to perform and now his struggles with his club team. So he has gone 16 games without a goal for A.C. Milan, which is the record in his career. It is the entirety of the 2026 calendar year, which is a little bit less important. And then this quote came out from his coach, Massey Allegory, over the coming out of the weekend,

in which he said, quote, Christian is a very sensitive man. Stroud is hitting him harder. He is also someone who struggles more with the physicality of duels and the lack of a center forward. I must try to give a balance to this team as we have an objective to achieve. I realize he is not entirely suited to this. I'd ask him to play center right tonight and lay out at center left.

So we were without a center forward. Rest assured by the end of the season, Pulisic will have given his contribution. It kind of made waves coming out of this quote coming out there, especially in U.S. soccer circles. What do you make of the quote, I think, and what do you make of where Polisik stands right now? I don't know Christian Polisik personally, but he does seem really sensitive. That whole, I don't say that whole cohort, but certainly there's a few guys in that cohort who seem extra sensitive in comparison, not just to U.S. national team athletes of the past, but in terms of high-level athletes of all sorts in this day and age.

And I think that's one of the things the fans see or sense at least. We were joking right before we went on. I was looking at the U.S. soccer subreddit. And like the number one post on that subreddit right now is we need new dogs, DAW cheap dogs. And it's like it's a picture of Brian McBride with like blood streaming out his eye and Kobe Jones getting kicked in the head. you know, Landon Donovan after scoring against Mexico and Clint Dempsey just being Clint Dempsey.

And, you know, the implication is these guys were so much tougher. And I always sort of shy away from that. I mean, we started off joking about Celtics and, you know, Knicks and all that. And, you know, so much of the talk NBA is, oh, players used to be so much tougher and the game more physicality. No, it wasn't. The way the game is played now is so much more physical and so much tougher than it was 30 years. ago, the 1996 Bulls would pee their pants and lose by 30 if they had to play any team in these playoffs.

That's the way the game has grown. Not the host, because CJ McCollum's fake. He's not a villain. He was right. He told the truth. And I feel, I genuinely feel that way about soccer, to a lesser degree. But like the game is so much more physical. And there are so many things now that you have to register that you didn't have to register

as a player 25 years ago. Just think about the way. center back has changed. That said, these guys, Christian Polisic in particular, do project the level of sensitivity that is, like, it's clearly affecting his game right now. And that is just the emotional part. The interesting thing to me, Dave, is that Max Allegory then touched on the tactical part. And that for those who don't know, Christian Pulisic has spent most of this year playing up top in a two.

Milan, they're third in Syria, so they're not the worst team in the world or anything, but... But they've been on the worst run. Yeah, they haven't been great. So they've been playing kind of a three, five, two with Polisik as one of the two forwards, playing sometimes off of Liao, who is also like Christian Polisic, probably best as a winger. They don't have a center forward. This is all happening in an environment in which man marking has come back. into vogue. So you're not just, you know, shuffling from one zone to another and trying to stay

on the fringes and trying to do, you know, positional play. You're actually in a duel constantly trying to beat these guys and these are Italian centerbacks. So they are raking their studs down your calf the entire time. And there's a real question as to whether or not Christian ballistic is built for this. So a lot of this, obviously, then you try and transfer into the U.S. national team, which makes it more shocking that he played as a false nine in the second friendly,

in which specifically Allegory is like, he can't handle this. Like, yeah, he can't handle this. He needs to play with a true number nine. Yeah. Excuse me, and meanwhile, our true number nine,

Flo Balagan is like the hottest number nine in Europe. Like, nail him to the bench. Don't let him in Pulistic develop any chemistry at all. That's a great use of a friendly. And yeah, let's practice this thing that we probably shouldn't use for his case. But obviously the U.S. for the World Cup is going to need Pulisic to play at a high level. And this is not the form you want to be coming in on for a guy who I think we, as you said,

have seen in the past when he's on form, the confidence shift for him, like the gap, the delta there feels massive where he's taking guys on. He's risking chances. He's taking shots. Like I watch some of the Milan games, even passing. Like he's taking simple pass. out wide to the wide player rather than trying to slip a ball in for layout making a run off a shoulder. It just feels like right now he doesn't want to force the issue in games because he doesn't

have the confidence to do it. And he, as you mentioned, like because of the way he feels about things, it feels like that is a huge difference for him in his ability to be effective. And it has to be for the U.S. where he is not the only guy anymore. We are not, okay, let's see if we can get Polisic in a dangerous area. But there's no world in which this team is not better off if he's pushing play and being more dangerous. Oh, God. Yeah.

Yeah. And the way, the phrase that was going through my head while you were describing his game recently, the way he's playing recently is movement with purpose. And what made Christian Polisic a kid who could play high level minutes for Berusha Dortmund as a 16, 17-year-old and play. play for the U.S. national team as a 17-year-old was the way he was always like he was really good on the ball. The way he was working with purpose off the ball at all times was unlike anything we've ever had in the pool outside of Land and Donovan. Right.

Yeah. And that has disappeared. And that is my biggest word. And like I think once the confidence comes back, that comes back. Once that comes back, the touch comes back. And once a touch comes back, then the aggressiveness comes back. And the ability or the willingness to take those types of chances with the ball that you're talking about. To me, it's the lack of movement with purpose off the ball that just makes them look like a completely different player.

And this is something that we've dealt with, I think, quite a lot. lot over the past decade that the team has largely been built around him because he's not a centerpiece in get him the ball and he figures it out type away. And honestly, I think when we put him in that situation, he struggles. He's a centerpiece player in that he's probably our best player, but he does it in a way where 98% of his best work is off the ball. Yeah. Even at my Milan, right? Last year, his best year, it's him scoring a ton of goals, which is the most important thing in a soccer game. But very rarely does he start the chance. Very rarely does he create the chance for himself? It's flow of the game, ball moves from right to left. He reads the channel.

He makes the run. He crashes out the right time. He finishes. That's what he's at his best at. And that's a position the U.S. has not historically put him in because of the reliance on him as an individual playmaker. But look at the Iran game at the 2022 World Cup, right? West McKinney, the goal and politics there to finish it and willing to do anything to do it. Yeah. And that all came off a pattern of play, like a really well structured, well rehearsed. Like we've seen the U.S. score that goal a million times under Greg Burrhalter.

And I think that's what part of what Burrhalter was doing. Like, first of all, it's just how he wants the game to be played. But second of all, making it so predictable and repeatable takes the burden of that type of focal point creativity off of a Christian politic and allows him to just be a goal score who's unpredictable and really fast processing movement is kind of a superpower that not only gets him into position to score those types of goals with his nuts, but also has a kind of gravity. So, you know, he drags, like he is so dangerous when play is not. focused towards him that he drags opposing defenses a couple of steps towards his side anyway.

And that makes everybody 15% better. So it ends up being this virtuous cycle. We've never gotten to that point under Pocitino. And he's playing a different role for A.C. Milan. So none of us have seen the Christian politic that we hope, like, when's the last time we saw it? 24? Yeah. I would like to give a little context here, which is, so Rafael Liao hasn't scored since May, March 1st, which most likely when you're listening to this means two months ago. That's the last time I think you'd call a quote unquote forward, even like wide attacker as that group for Milan has scored.

So it's been two months where when they've won, like against Inter, it's been one zero. They've lost a bunch of other games. Otherwise, it's been Rabio adding goals from midfield, Madrick's special moments, centerbacks getting forward on set pieces. So the context there has to be taken in, which is it's not just Pulistic that's struggling in this. They've got three or four left wingers who are world class and all of them are trying to play. And none of them are playing comfortably.

So I think part of the issue here is we're going to look at it from a USM&T standpoint at one player. But this is an issue that's across all of these players because the team is not currently in a good state of form. and it's that attack is not helping any of them. But obviously the U.S. is not going to be better off. By the way, San Diego Jimenez, you want to take a guess at his stats this year? I will start with minutes. Okay.

I'm going to guess 485 minutes. Oh, you undershot it, but just by a little bit. No. 694. Jeez. Does he have what, five goals? David, he has zero goals. Oh, my God.

You know, it was funny. remember we worked with Maria, who was one of our producers on XTU time. Of course. And I said to her one time, like, I love Ricardo Pepeby, but I was like, Ricardo Pepey is not our hope. He is just one of the guys, and he's better than Santy Jimenez. She proceeded to text me every Santy Jimenez goal every weekend in the Dutch League from then on out.

I haven't returned the Santy Jimenez favor yet. And the point of that was, I don't even think of Pepe is going to be a starter anytime soon, and your entire hopes are pinched on St. Di Mena's now. Turns out I didn't realize Mexico had a ace up their back in their back's pocket in this up their sleeve. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Which was just MLS produced talent that they were going to start pulling in like Brian Gutierrez and Obed Vargas. So that part I didn't realize and respect on the game, FMF for having other people do your homework for you. But yeah, that one always cracked me up and he's not even going to be a factor on this. He's not even going to be a factor. No. But it's the.

So two things here. One is I'm worried if Ricardo Pepe goes to Fulham, he becomes Santee Jimenez. Yeah. Okay. And we've seen that before as U.S. soccer fans. But second of all, if Santee Jimenez was just even an average or even a below average Syria forward instead of a complete bust, then maybe Pulisic would be in a better, Right.

Literally a better position on the field to be rounding into the type of shape that we're talking about. Let me ask you this. If you're an MLS, you're an MLS GM after. When I go get San Di Jimenez? Yeah. Do you have to pay a full transfer fee? Let's say you can get them on loan for a year. Yeah.

Let's say you're, uh, let's say you're Tyler Heaps. If I was an MLS president, I'm going to my technical director of Jenham Rounder. and telling them we're getting Santy Jimenez on loan for the year because we're going to sell jerseys. But yeah, I think he would be effective. I mean, Tyler Heaps is a crazy one because, yeah, they need a center forward and he would make sense. But I don't think the gap between Josh Sargent and Santy Jimenez is massive.

And if I don't have to pay $25 million, then you probably take the shot. I don't think the gap between Josh Sargent and Preston Judd is massive. Yeah, you're part of the problem on that. Let me throw this out there and not. we're off the rails and then we can finish up, which is, I've talked to a lot of people who have played in the Dutch League and have left. Because the story was, you score a million goals in the Dutch League and that means nothing to what happens outside of it. And the answer I always got was Dutch clubs culturally are, they are so hardline in what they do that they don't change based off opponents tactically. And for the last 30 years, it was manmarking out every spot over along the field.

So there was so much space in their games that scores would get run up. And I mean, this is going all the way back, right? Dirk count scored like 57 goals. And then came to Liverpool and was like an off the bench grinder. And it was like, what's going on here? And everyone I've talked to who's been in those situations is like the game in the Netherlands is the most open because of their fundamentals defensively that they refuse to shut the game down and they will chase and try and win everywhere.

And the gaps are open. And for the right type of players, that crux. creates opportunities that maybe aren't there in other leagues. But we are now talking about a world that is manmarking across the field, and maybe that shifts a little bit. So I don't think the, the, so first of all,

I don't think that holds true any longer about the Dutch League. I think we see a lot more diversity of styles than there were 15 years ago, for one, for two, the man marking that I'm talking about is not Matias Almeida level. For sure. Yeah. It's in the right zone.

Donne Dell. Yeah. But you see a lot of it off of goal kicks, right? So that's why two forward setups are coming back, right? Big Little, when first ball, second ball are off to the races. Football, the way the English designed it. But the thing. Steve Smith, he needs to pick me up today.

Right. The thing with the Dutch is that the top three teams traditionally are like super elite on the world. state like top 30 teams maybe 40 teams in the world and the bottom two thirds of that league are like USL championship or below yeah so the reason that scores were so high it's because you're smashing you've had iax playing the richmond kickers 14 times a year you know that like that's why if you go and you look at iax fionord or psv fionord games or not you can even add a z into that. The numbers aren't so big.

So I'm not sure it was tactical so much. It's just like the top of the Dutch League has been really, really good about hoovering up the best talent from the other teams in the Ere de Vise. I went through this a couple of years ago. The other teams in the Ere de Vizier almost never sell to anyone outside of the Netherlands other than maybe, other than maybe, well, up,

right, up to IAC's PSV-Fi and or, but now maybe a little bit to underlect or standard liege or a little bit of that, but there's almost nothing else. Keith Schmidt, who's, or Schmidt,

who's the biggest talent in Dutch soccer right now, he might go to Barcelona this summer from AZED. Nobody can remember the last time that happened. Anyway, this all gets back to the point that it worries me a little bit about Ricardo Pepi because if you look at his goal scoring track record for PSV, he's beaten the hell out of the heronvines

in the Nakbredas of the world. And he hasn't done much against Fianord and Iaxe and even, you know, FC20, who's also a really good team. I don't know how we ended up there. No, but, you know, this is what you get there on a Thursday. We're hanging out. We're chatting soccer. Let's close with the Polish FAA came to New York City and hung out with Julian Hall's mom,

who is, of course, Polish, giving her a jersey with his last name that he wears on his jersey, which is her last name, which is the Polish side of things that potentially for the future. So something to watch out for there. And then last little thing, there has been some chatter with a segment of games played in major league soccer that statistically Matt Turner has been the best goalkeeper in MLS. Matt Freeze is in the pocket of five right behind him. Matt Freeze is currently the starter for the U.S. men's national team. And Matt Turner is probably the number two based off the Belgian-Portugal games and just based

off what we all assume. Do you think there is any shuffle in there? Is there any ability for Turner to pass Freeze through play with the New England Revolution? I would be surprised, but I'm not going to rule it out entirely. Turner's been really, really good. You know, the revs give up a lot of chances. And so he's stopping a lot of shots. He's also been a lot better and more reliable with his feet and his decision-making than he was a year ago.

It turns out playing regularly helps most goalkeepers. I still, you know, never again ask him to be a sweeper-keeper in the mind. Like, he is a classic goalkeeper. But so is Freeze. Yeah. I don't think Freeze has been a problem for, NYCFC. I think NYCFC has other problems. And I don't think Fries has at any point let himself down with the U.S. national team. So I think going into these camps, I think Frees is a pretty clear

number one. But things can change in camp, right? Pachino's made that clear from day one. And, you know, if Turner keeps playing out of his mind, maybe he'll be the guy in the sticks. And who knows? Maybe Gio Raina got some run and he'll be the focal point and that'll free up Christian Pulisic. And this whole segment will have been pointless, David. That would be the beauty of life. I will say the reason this conversation continues is just neither of them are on a level that makes it a no-brainer that they're the starter and locked in. And for a program that had had that for 20 plus years, I think that's a little bit of a shift of conversation. I don't think either of them are going to lose the U.S. again.

I think Freeze has been really good for the end. I don't disagree, but those are in friendlies and a gold cup and it's eight months of that. Like, you know. No, that's fair. It's not Casey Keller for four years. It's not Brad Friedel at a World Cup. It's not, to me, H. Like, it is still a different level.

And I think then that goes to the NYCFC stuff, which is he has been very good. Another thing we're talking about is Andre Blake historic numbers, Matt Turner, historic numbers, Georgie Petrovich, right? Like, we're talking about guys that have been good, but not incredible. And so the door's going to be open. Chris Brady, by the way, is in that pool of five. Brad Stoever. Brad Stover is as well, yeah, the Iron Man. Yeah, he's been, I mean, over the last five years, the best American keeper on a week-to-week basis in terms of keeping the ball out of the net has been Brad Stover.

Nick Romando made a third spot at a World Cup, right? Yeah, 2010, I think. Yeah. So it could be Brad Stovers next as he's heading for the all consecutive games played awards that. that Nick Romano all holds right now. He's like 100 games away. It's not a big deal. It's like pretty quick to get there.

Okay. Well, we're going to do this every Thursday. We're going to do some opposition research coming up, talking about the teams that the U.S. will be playing. Art of Goulers, his injury, obviously, huge factor coming up. I saw that he was injured. I didn't see how long it's for. I did not see the exact details, but it is the way someone sent it to me, at least,

was could be, unfortunately, good news for the U.S. so would obviously be a huge piece of the group stage. And we're going to talk all things World Cup. We've got a first touch show that comes out on Fridays. We're actually talking about Mexico this week in the state of the game there. Huge changes going on in League of MX. But yeah, so a lot for us to cover, a lot for us to talk about Doyle, always applies.