Will Cain Country - Live From Philly - Happy 250th Birthday America! (ft. Rich Zeoli & Alexi Lalas)

Episode Date: July 3, 2026

We’re just 24 hours away from our nation’s 250th anniversary, but some are already trying to brand it a “Socialist Summer.” In this special Friday edition of Will Cain Country, we’re broadcasting live from the birthplace of American liberty: Independence Hall in Philadelphia.Joining Will to break down the rise of the socialist Left (and why it’s doomed to fail) is Rich Zeoli, Host of ‘The Rich Zeoli Podcast.’ FOX Sports Soccer Analyst Alexi Lalas also drops by to track Team USA's current standing in the World Cup, explain how American success is shattering Europe's misguided perceptions of our great nation, and, most importantly, settle once and for all why we should call it soccer, not football.Subscribe to ‘Will Cain Country’ on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch Will Cain Country!⁠⁠⁠Follow ‘Will Cain Country’ on X (⁠⁠⁠@willcainshow⁠⁠⁠), Instagram (⁠⁠⁠@willcainshow⁠⁠⁠), TikTok (⁠⁠⁠@willcainshow⁠⁠⁠), and Facebook (⁠⁠⁠@WillCainNews)Follow Will on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

July 4th, 1776, July 3rd, 2026, almost 250 years of America. Live from Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is Wilcane Country. It is Wilcane Country streaming live at the Wilcane Country YouTube channel, the Wilcane Facebook page, but always here for you. Monday through Friday by following us at Spotify or on Apple. Two days, Dan, Tenfo Pat back in Florida, Greg back in New York, pan out, zoom out. I want to show you where we are today. If you look behind me, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, gorgeous. The bell is ringing.

The Continental Army just marched by. We got marching bands. We got Americans. We got people from all over the world right here for both the World Cup and the two 150th birthday of America. Back here on set, we have Rich Zioly, the host of the Rich Zioly podcast and a Philly guy. What's up, Rich? What's up, Will? It's great to see you, man. Welcome to the birthplace of Liberty. I mean, this is it. This is incredible. There's no better place to be than right here. I took a tour this morning, Rich, and I said to the tour guide, people that live in

Philadelphia, obviously one of the things I recognize is their love of the Philadelphia Eagles. Almost immediately the greeting I got. And the, I think it was the first greeting I got in Philadelphia. Philadelphia was F Dallas. But I wonder, do you live amidst this? Do you live amidst the Liberty Bell, literally right over my left shoulder? Independence Hall and appreciate that you're sitting here at the birthplace of Liberty? Two things. Number one, the actual greeting down here, the official greeting is go birds.

Like that's how people talk to each other on game day. It's like Go Birds, you know? I took my 11-year-old son of the World Cup, and then we went back in the Center City. I took him over to Washington Square Park, just a couple blocks away. They have the tomb of the unknown Revolutionary War soldier and a monument to General Washington. And I wanted to see that, Will, is to appreciate how much blood was spilled for the liberty, for the freedom, for the independence that my 11-year-old son enjoys today. That's what I'm curious about. To come from a place like I do, and we appreciate our history, we love our history in Texas, we're proud of our independence, proud of the Republic of Texas.

We learn it in school. but your history is literally visual. It's not in a textbook. It's walking down the street. You can't go half a block without seeing a historical marker. And the historical markers are that's where George Washington had beers before coming to sign the Declaration of Independence. This is where those men did that, right over our shoulder at Independence Hall.

And if you go inside that building, you just get chills. Thinking about the debates, the raucous debates they had in Independence Hall, and in the taverns around, this is Old City, Philadelphia. So our radio station, Talk Radio 1210, WPSC, we used to broadcast right from there. So I would, between breaks, come out and just sit and think about, you know, the challenges our country was facing. And it was amazing to take it all in. But, you know, they had big-time battles back then. Like, they would get physical with each other.

Everybody thinks it was just a cakewalk, but the debates between the founders. I mean, they had duels back then, Will. They're duels, like 20 and 30-year-old men putting it all on the line. It did not work out personally for all of those men. Some lost fortune, some lost lives. And they all put it on the line there at that age in that building, not to start a business, which is commendable in and of itself. And the risk tolerance associated with that, but to start a country.

Incredible. And they knew that the penalty was death. They were going to be hanged if they failed. They knew that. And for many people around this area and throughout America, they were very torn. They didn't know if they should support the crown. They didn't know if they should be loyal to the crown and the king. And so it was a debate in kitchen tables.

And then ultimately they said, we have to do this. We need our independency. We need our freedom. We need our liberty. And they did. And it was the greatest risk because America, we were such an underdog compared to the greatest military the world had ever seen in 17. You think about that, right?

Yes, incredible. It is about 101 degrees right now, noon eastern in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The parade has been canceled today because of heat in Philadelphia. And I bring that up because I don't love it when people talk about how hot it is as you're watching from across the country, maybe in St. Louis or in Santa Barbara. But to think about those men signed that as well in the middle of the summer in 1776 wearing multiple. layers of wool and wigs on top of their head. Right, right. They did that, and we're complaining about this.

I know. I mean, if they canceled the parade, they got to cancel the revolution in 1776. Like, there were no cooling centers in Independence Hall back then. There was hot in the middle of July in 1776, really hot. And then they had to endure winters, horrible winters, without shoes and boots. And we probably never should have won.

It was only because of the American spirit. We were able to defeat the Brits and their Navy, which was so powerful at the time, in addition to the Army, right? But yeah, so, I mean, we're complaining a little bit about it. We've got fans. We've got air conditioning. And thank God we ended the war on energy so we can actually have air conditioning. Where's the air conditioning?

Well, not here. I mean, in that tent? Theoretically speaking, of course. Yeah. Let's take quick break, but continue this conversation with Rich Zioli of the Rich Zioli podcast on Wilcane Country. Cheers to America's 250th birthday. Get 20% off your first purchase at Fox News Wine Shop.

com with code fn radio 20% discount excludes wine club offers and cannot be combined with any other promotion expires july 31st 2026 must be 21 order to order please drink responsibly um all right coming up a little bit later in the show today we're going to have alexie lulles from fox sports join us to talk about the world cup we got a game here in philadelphia tomorrow it is france versus paraguay um we'll be at that game we'll be broadcasting the will cane show for the next two days live here from philadelphia but let's get into some of the news with rich zioli of the rich zioli podcast. Okay, tonight, New York City Mayor Zoramamam Dani will be giving a speech from George Washington's desk at City Hall in New York City. He will apparently, in the course of this speech,

focus on the contradictions of America. He will talk about the indigenous Americans, the enslavement of African Americans, the immigrants. And this will be part of what he tells tonight in the story of America. Rich, what I think about that is, it is part of the story of America. But if that ends up being the focus for Zoroamam Dani, it's like someone who focuses on Act 3 of a four-act play. And that's even being generous because our contradictions or our flaws aren't even a full act in the story of who we are in America. And no one has stood more for freedom for all people, for all people, including the enslavement of African Americans, than the story of the United States of America. Yeah, is the mayor going to focus on how we liberated Europe from the

Nazis, from the tyranny of the Nazis. Is he going to mention that? Probably not. I mean, how much freedom and liberty we have brought across the world. But we have to remember, this country was founded. Half of it was abolitionists who were vehemently opposed to slavery and put within the Constitution the means by which slavery would end. And we also have to remember, too, that they were men of their times. But I think what you're talking about, Will, gets into something deeper with Mamdami. And these other socialists who are winning elections. There's a guy right outside of Philadelphia, this guy Rab who just won the Democrat primary, said the

Declaration of Independence needs to be destroyed. It needs to be destroyed. Two socialists won in New Jersey. Safe districts for Democrats, they beat the Democrat moderate, and now they are the nominees. And they also hate America. If you switch to other cable networks, they're not celebrating

the way Fox is today. They're not celebrating the way Will Cane country is today. There is a deep hatred for this country by the socialists who are winning in not just the cities. Like, ma'am, Tommy gets all the attention. But I'm here to tell you, brother, like, they're winning in the suburbs. And their message is we have to rip up the founding documents.

That's why they keep bringing up slavery. They got to rip up those documents because those are the guardrails that prevent them from taking over this country and start fresh. And they believe that. You know, the head of the Democratic Socialists of America is saying that they are already focused on the Democratic primary for president in 2028. He said he hopes that it's AOC. You know, it's a movement I agree with. you that it should not be dismissed. It seems like people are calling it socialist summer. It seems like the hostile takeover or the willing absorption of the Democrat Party.

Yeah. Oh yeah, like parasites or they embedded themselves in and like a virus and now they've fully taken over the host. Remember that it's like the movie The Thing, you know what I mean? It's like they've now consumed the entity. But the energy of the party is with them. And that's the difference is that the energy now is so strong. I don't know if the mainstream Democrat party bosses and superdelegates can stop it like they did to Bernie Sanders in 2016. You know, left to his own devices, he probably would have been the nominee. The Democrat Party has always embraced socialists. They just always said, you know, stay in your corner.

Like, you're like that relative you don't really want at the party. Just kind of hang out over there, Uncle Larry. But now they're in charge of the party. And I think if they try to block AOC and they put in one of their moderate candidates, so-called moderate candidates, I think you're going to see a revolt. And that's why guys like Gavin Newsom, remember, he was against the billionaire's tax. Now he wants a national billionaire's tax. They are going to go left and embrace this movement.

You're going to see Democrat, so-called moderates, embrace socialism. Earlier this week, I did an interview with the head of the DSA. I did an expose, or I did a layout of their policies and what they stand for, what they want, Medicare for all, everything for all, college tuition for all. And I had this graph it up, Rich, and it showed all this. And I've noticed on social media that a lot of the DSA supporters, are grabbing saying, how could you be against this? Only if you're a shi person could you be against this.

And it's so childish. It's like, yeah, well, you could be for, you know, a million dollars for all. That's not the point. It's not a system that creates equality. If you think about socialism, I think this is illustrated in every version of its application, whether or not that's DEI or its socialism or communism writ large. It is not to equal the playing field. It is a movement of resentment and revolution.

It only flips the game board and puts different people on top. Those people, not by merit, but by political will and power. I'll give you the best example. This is Trippitt. Somebody went into City Hall or the city buildings in New York. The current temperature was 54 degrees. The mayor's decree was to set the thermostat at 78 degrees. So everybody across the city is supposed to oblige that.

And yet here in City Hall, it's at 54 degrees. because all that does is create a new hierarchy. It doesn't flatten hierarchy. It simply creates a new. You're so right. It reminds me of animal farm, George Orwell, when he said, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

And these people who are the leadership here, they're all wealthy people. I mean, Bernie Sanders with his four homes and there are two homes, whatever, many homes he has. Millionaire. That's why he stopped going after millionaires and yelling about them. Now it's just, you know, the billionaire.

You know, let's hate the billionaires and trillionaires until he becomes a billionaire. Then he'll stop. They'll just be owed after trillionaires. They have a lot of money, but they ultimately want power and they want censorship. And if you think about it, if they get in charge, the kind of things we'll see in this country, in addition to ICE being defunded and Medicare for all is hate speech laws, for example. They will require that everybody on the Internet has to have their identity known so nobody can be anonymous. Our founders started this revolution, as you know, Will,

using anonymous names in the Federalist papers. They did that because they were afraid of their identities being revealed. A lot of Americans want to comment on politics today, comment on the government, but use a pseudonym to not lose their job or whatever. The left would end that tomorrow. They would have disinformation governance sports. It's about control. Socialism and communism has always been about control and power for the very few.

And yet so many buy in. So many buy in. And, you know, I think about the type of people that are buying in, I did this as well. So the DSA is 85% white. Here's why I think that's fascinating. So right around this area, it's beautiful all around here. Society Hill, you know, old row houses dating back to the early 1800s, some to the late 1700s. These are residential areas, right? Right off here. And yet this is the city that elects a lot of this insanity. Yeah, yeah. The Larry Krasner. So the point is this is the rich, white, college-educated voter who's voting now to,

revolutionize America again. Yeah. And I don't understand what it is about life or America that made them so resentful, that made them feel like this project has not been a massive success. Sadly, I think it's what you just said, because they're college educated. And I think our education system, you think about the Teachers Union, the National Federation of Teachers and Randy Weingart and these other people, they are socialists to the core. And they've been pushing this orthodoxy on the youth.

I mean, I see these kids around here today, and I think, God, I hope they're in schools that are not indocturing them, that this is a horrible country, and we should not be proud. But sadly, a lot of these schools are, and then they get to college. And I don't know if you had this, but I remember this, I had this buddy in college who, he was like, he was like one of those hacky sack guys in the quad. It's back, by the way. Hackysack's back. Oh, my teen age was hacky sacky sack.

That's a nightmare. That's our national nightmare. And he was like, listen, man, the problem with communism is that we never tried right, right? It works. It just you always have these murderous dictators, you know, but if the right person did it, it would totally work. And they believe this crap. Yeah.

And you're like, wait a second. Mao, Popat, Jacob, era. Like, these are heroes to these people. Stalin, they're like, well, Stalin was a bad dude, but he had a lot of good ideas. Lenin. Like, Lenin was a mass murderer. Yeah. And I'm like, well, yeah, but his ideas were good.

We just got to put him in practice. This is the indoctrination. That's the problem. Coming up, Fox Sports, Alexi Lollas here on Wilcane Country. And it's on our doorstep once again. Oh, yeah, man. Rich Dioli of the Rich DiLioli podcast, man. Thanks for coming out here.

in this brother hanging out with this really enjoy you got me away from my liberal in-laws to come down here for this i was on vacation so i will all right so rich is going to step out and we're going to bring alexie lullis in yeah you're not do it alexie just walk right in oh god alexie lawless fox what's up man good to see you i'm good man old school how you How are you doing? William, let me tell you something. Yes. I am sweating from places that I didn't even realize I could sweat from my...

Come on. I mean... You're a Michigan guy. But when I think about our forefathers and what they used to wear around in the summers... Wool. Multiple layers of wool. Who am I to complain, my friend? And a powdered wig.

Who am I to complain? It's incredible. You know, I really like the... The combat boots. Is that what that is? Combat boots? They're affordable and they're wide and they're rugged and I like the way that they look. Yes, my friends.

How you doing, man? I am good. I am so happy and proud and excited about what is happening this summer. Obviously, you know, with this World Cup. I think you've talked about this before on the show is that people are using this World Cup as a lens to see America. Whether they're discovering it for the first time or rediscovering. discovering it. They are using this World Cup and this sport in a beautiful way. And so part of me is incredibly happy and excited about that is happening. There's a little part of me that's kind of

it's sad that we needed that to recognize how great this country is. But I'll take it. I'll take it. And it's been fun to see, again, our country through their lens and through the eyes of others. Man, it's my favorite thing. And you know, you know this. You know that I love soccer. Yep. The soccer has been my second favorite part of this. It is the world's eyes. opens to who we are, what we are in America, and we're going to send home an army of people across the world who all of a sudden are going to have a difference perspective from what they're hearing their media or they hear from their politicians or what they're taught in their schools about who we are in America. And I can't imagine there's many of them at all that go home

with anything short of overwhelming positivity. Yeah, and, you know, the people coming from abroad, that's been wonderful. I'm glad they've had an awesome time. I'm glad it's all been safe, knock on what it continues to happen. But what's been interesting. interesting is to see Americans who experience this incredible surprise at, oh, this is how great America is. And again, well, maybe you haven't been looking in the right places or having been listening to the right people when it comes to that. And again, it's on our watch that we have kind of created this generation that doesn't look at it as the greatest experiment in terms of success that's ever happened. And I got to feel the greatest country in the world.

So we're going to continue to celebrate it on the field, off the field throughout this summer and continue forward. And maybe as we go forward, like you said, we have a greater appreciation for what I feel is the greatest country in the world. So as Alexey was talking, one of those people he described walked by, I saw the zoom in on the camera on that sign behind us. Did you see it? No, what he said? I can't repeat it. Oh, really? Yeah.

That's all right. But, you know, part of being great is saying things like that sign. And he's one, for the record, he's. is one of 2000, one of a thousand, and this crowd at least. Okay, let's talk soccer. Yep. So I said this yesterday, Alexi, do you think, so I know that you're not going to like the first part of what I have to say. Okay, perfect.

It's already a success. Wait a tease it. It's already a success for Team USA. And here's why I know you won't like it because you want to win. I'm an American and I want to win. But here's why I say it's a success. If we had lost in the round of 32, I would have said it was not. a success. But the way that we have played four games now, and now that we're going up against

admittedly tough but beatable team in Belgium, I'm just looking at the way this team is playing, and I'm like, honestly, we've arrived. And I hate to be the guy that says win or lose, participation trophy, but that team that I'm watching right now, and I don't know if Pocitino will stick around, and I don't know how much to attribute to Pocino, that team will compete for years to come. All right, so maybe I'll surprise you in that I will agree that that this team has already won, especially when it comes to winning hearts and minds and bringing people into the tent. And that's no small feat. That's important. And as soccer people that have been around, that's what we want from a World Cup. And getting past this round of 32, I think is

important because that game the other day, we were the favorite. And just to remind to America, that has never been the case from a men's perspective, being in a World Cup, where we are in a knockout game and we are the favorite. And as you know, in sports, it's easy to play the underdog. All right? It's a little more difficult when you are the favorite. And yet they stepped up in that moment and they beat Bosnia and they did what was expected of them. Now that in and of itself is something new.

Now we're kind of back into this underdog role, but look, Belgium is a very good team. Probably. Yeah. And there's 5.45. 20 of people will say that Belgium is better than us. Okay, that's fine. So we're kind of back into that comfort role. And I guess anything is gravy, but I'm greedy.

I'm greedy. Well, I want more. And the good thing is I think this team is greedy for more. Hold on. So, you know, we've talked about this as well. What does it take for soccer to break through culturally in America, right? I think we're actually close. That doesn't mean everybody watching is going to end up loving soccer.

But it's already in terms of like measurable popularity, second, maybe third. Sure. But I think beating Belgium, playing Spain in the quarterfinals, that's going to be massive. It's already. Youth participation, but also as a spectator sport, and if, by God's chance, we beat Spain and made the semifinals, now we're talking rocket ship for this sport in America. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I mean, that would be wonderful. But again, it's not a panacea, but it is a hell of an ejection to have into a game. But hasn't it been a trampoline each time? You guys in 94. Yes, yes, yes. That was a trampoline. Absolutely.

And, you know, so the masses come into the soccer tent. They experience the World Cup in this summer, as we said, unprecedented in terms of what's happened. And then many will leave, which is, which is fine, but a lot of them will have been injected with, you know, the best possible infection that you can get, which is soccer. I will say this. One of the things that's being celebrated this summer is how far we've come as a soccer nation. I don't let anybody tell you that we aren't a soccer country, that we don't have a soccer culture. It is vastly, vastly changed and different

from 1994. It makes me incredibly proud how far we've come. As the saying goes, you've come a long way, baby, and we certainly have both on and off the fields. We still got a long way to go. But to your point there are young boys and girls that grow up in the United States so they don't look at soccer in any different way than other sports it's just part of their sports palette let's take a quick break but continue this conversation with alexie lawless on will can country so i want to give you compliments because you deserve them no you deserve them and it's i look up on social media you're not you're not getting enough you're getting really you're getting bullshit is that's what's happening going on it no it's we need our own baby we eat our own what i what i'm

I like about the way you approach soccer is that you're unapologetically American. And I'm not talking about you chant in USA or rooting for the team. Okay, it's going to sound trite. You call it soccer, you won't call it football. You welcome the tints of people that have simple basic questions or misunderstandings into the world of soccer. And you bring in an Americanness to everything about it. And ultimately, I think soccer is too populated with Europhiles.

Like Americans who want to wear European clothes and pretend like they're drinking espresso at 3 p.m. If you want that fine, but I want soccer to be American. Like when we arrive, when we win the World Cup, I want it to be in distinctly American fashion. I want to be us. Yeah, yeah. And when being us. Yeah. And we call it soccer.

We do it in a different and unique way. We should never, ever apologize for it. We also shouldn't gatekeep when it comes to this. And, you know, over the years, we've seen it. You know, it's kind of like you see a band in a club with two people, and it's your band. And then it gets big, and everybody. comes in and you're protective of it and you don't want it and you really got to fight against that when it comes to American soccer and you know there's the elitist and the snobbiness and the

Euro stuff that goes on and I get it because soccer is not king in our country we certainly didn't invent the game we have come to it late relatively than other countries but we we can make it our own and again don't ever ever apologize for what we are or what we aren't as a soccer playing nation. I lean into it because I love it. I am incredibly proud of it. Look, when it comes to calling it soccer, it's not that you can't call it football,

but if you grew up calling it soccer and you were embarrassed or shamed into now calling it football out of some misconceived notion that it makes you credible, no, no, it's okay. The English invented the word soccer. Exactly. The Australians call it soccer.

Exactly. So listen. We call it soccer. I call it soccer. Call it whatever you want. It's a fun game. As you've seen, it brings people together. And sports in general has, and I think this World Cup is once again shown that through sports, you can bring people together.

We can agree and disagree. We have a million things, but we can have a good time. And in this case, we can celebrate, like I said. How are things with Slatan? Slotan's all good, okay? You know, I mean, it's like a family. Speaking of dysfunction, we're learning and we're growing. We fight amongst ourselves.

but anybody from the outside takes a shot at us, then we kind of come together and we make sure that that doesn't happen. So Latan's doing a great job. He's back in L.A. right now. I'll see him in a couple days. Terry's just shaking his head through the whole thing,

you know, the beautiful Frenchman that he is, and poor Rebecca is just trying to herd cats. Well, people don't realize about Tieri. He's like that on every show he's on. Yes. He's like that when he's with the guys doing Champions League. He's the same dude. That's what he does.

Yeah. That's what he does. X's and O's and all that. And, you know, very low-key, classy French. I mean, he's French. Enough said, right? Okay, so, by the way, I'm curious what you'd say this. I saw a tweet of this the other day.

I think I've told you before. I'm a huge Holland fan. A huge what? Holland. Oh, yeah. Early. Early. Not the Netherlands.

And there's a lot of reasons I get there. I'm a Manchester City fan. I've got sons that are. one that plays striker and is in that same size bowl okay very tall six four 15 uh don't clip that that he hates it when i do that don't do that um so i root but i want the u.s i kind of if i could pick my style for the u.s that's the style i want i want bully i want physical i want smiling but that viking it's when he was in dallas and he's got the cowboy head on it's like viking cowboy yes that's who i want us to be yeah and and for anybody that's not

watching Erlin Holland, a legendary goal scorer for Man City and others, but he plays for Norway now. And it's a little different when he's playing for Norway in terms of the supporting cast, but he is still bringing it. The stars are bringing it here. I will say this, you know, when you see Messi, for example, if he were to walk around here and nobody knew anything about soccer, you would never go and point and say, hey, there goes arguably the greatest player to play the game. You know, he's not really big, doesn't really look athletic, but he's very, very smart. When it comes to Erlin Holland, you see him walk around. You're like, well, that's That's something different that's going on right there.

And to your point, a lot of times, sometimes when people come to soccer, they don't realize how some of these players and some of these teams are incredibly big and athletic. And physical. And physical. They don't realize how physical the game is. Someone like Mbapé, who plays for France, the speed at which he just eats up ground. Erlin Holland, his ability in the air. Also his ability to terms to just gobble up the ground as he's getting to the place.

It's fun to watch. I'm so glad that these stars, whether they're big or small, have shown up this World Cup. That's what you want in a World Cup. Messi, Kane. Berlin, Bali are an awesome race for the most goals. It's great. It's great. And Cristiano scored last night.

I know he's kind of coming up at the end when it comes to Portugal, but, you know, he's still in it. He's still in it. Okay. So this is my favorite thing about Team USA right now. And this is notorious in the world of soccer to say this. at least at the youth levels. I shouldn't be interested in the result. I'm interested in what it looks like how they're playing. So I'm saying this independent of the result. They are playing. I've never seen a team USA play this way. And I guess I have to give that to the coach,

Mauricio Pottachino, but it's one touch passing. It's constant movement. They seem to understand where each player is going. So the ball just keeps moving and cutting open the defense in the most beautiful ways. I've never seen that from an American team. Yeah, I think we're seeing the culmination of the last couple of decades developing players and obviously recruiting players when it comes to dual nationals and having that kind of perfect mix at the perfect time. To your point, you know, me and my old generation, it's not begrudging at all. We look at it and we say, yeah, you're better and you should be better. From a very young age, we have cultivated this group.

We have given them pathways and resources and opportunities, the likes of which we have never seen. So we should expect more and that they are living up to it. That's, I think, where the kudos go. Because it doesn't always happen that way. But to your point, some of the stuff that they are doing, the way that they are playing, that is new for an American team. It's not just individual skill. Nope. There is individual skill and brilliance, but there's a cohesiveness right now that I don't know. I've just never seen from America. Well, you mentioned Maricio Pochitititino, the head coach of the U.S. team. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit. I think he came into the program two years ago and recognized very quickly in like the traditional sense of Herb Brooks that it's not about the best players, it's about the best collection of players.

And he very quickly said, this is what I'm going with, doesn't suffer fools. And also for some of these younger guys that kind of came up in the last cycle, I mean, he told them at times something that maybe they didn't want to hear, but it was kind of tough love that they needed in that moment. And so now we're seeing while they were teens, many of them, and kind of immature, there's a maturation process. has happened and I think Maricio Poitititino, like I said, deserves credit for where this team is right now. Okay, a couple last things because it's sweltering hot out here. That's not a red card. That wasn't a red card.

In no world is that a red card. And now we have to play Belgium without Baligan. Yeah. So Flo Balagin's been wonderful this tournament and really kind of the man up top, both in terms of scoring goals, holding the ball up, just creating problems. And now he gets a red card. And again, I agree with you. I think it was a complete travesty of a call.

I think it was ridiculous in the context of the game. in the context of the actual play and what was intended and what was intended but we got to move on so next man up it remains to be seen whether he changed his formation or whether he just does a like for like type of thing I'm talking about Marisa Poitino Ricardo Pepe who's kind of been waiting in the wings

I think that's what you got to do I think that's what you got to do you just you risk if you move somebody else now you're wrecked two positions yes exactly and this team up top yeah the best team the best this team has looked has been in the first game against Paraguay and I don't think it's any you know a coincidence that in this last game, we're supposed to put you in,

went back to that starting 11. That is the best 11. So don't tinker too much. Just put Pepe and see how he does in a starting role, which, as we know, isn't a substitution role, so it can be different. But either way, I think going up to Seattle, that crowd there, that environment there,

is going to be the proverbial 12th man. But we got our hands full. What's been the best home environment? Has it been L.A.? Has it been Santa Clara? No, Seattle was awesome. Seattle. So that's our biggest advantage, being in Seattle.

Yeah. I mean, look, if we win and we go back to L.A., L.A. has been great, but of the three venues, because we played two games in L.A., I think that Seattle game was awesome. So I'm glad that they're going back there. And then, you know, the sky's the limit. Okay, so now we've got to play my favorite player of all time, Kevin DeBreina. Oh, really? Romolu Lekaku. Yep. A team full of guys, Trossard. Doku. Yeah. Jeremy Doku, Manciti. But at the same time, Belgium has not been playing well.

Not until really the last 10 minutes of that game against Ivory Coast. Yeah, I mean, so we think back to 2014 when we played Belgium in the World Cup. Tim Howard had that incredible game. The reality is we should have lost that game by multiple goals. This is not the 2014 team. And to your point, they are long in the tooth. They certainly have talent, and they certainly can beat this U.S. team. But if I'm Mauricio Puccino and find these players right now, hell, if I'm just me, I'm salivating at this opportunity.

If you told Belgium they could switch rosters with us, they would say no. Maybe a few players. There's definitely a few players. I think that this Belgium team certainly will be confident that they can go and beat this U.S. team. But it is not as dramatic a difference as back in 2014 or just even the last cycle when it comes to what Belgium is. Right, right. And then should we win that, we're not getting ahead of ourselves, we'd play the winner of Spain and Portugal. Bring it on, baby.

Is that close? Or do you think Spain's head and shoulders above Portugal? banana, you know, for Spain right now because it's Portugal and the proximity and the connections and all that. Spain's a better team. And so again, on paper, they should go through, but the soccer gods have already thrown up some craziness in this World Cup. So stuff could happen and Cristiano and all that. So I don't care. It doesn't matter. Let's get through this next game and then bring it on back to Los Angeles for some rarefied here. Lexi, you're doing a great job. Thank you. I'm going to tell Eric Shanks in a minute.

All right, cool. I need all the help I can get. We need an American, not just, we need an American insensibility, not just a nationality at that table. I appreciate that. And I want you know more people appreciate that and know it than the ones on social media that work for awful announcing. Comes with the territory, my friend. I'm a pretty big skin.

I'm sure you have too. Alexie Lawless, big fan. Thank you. You're the best. You're the best. All right. Thank you for hanging out with today. I'm Will Kane Country.

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