Latest / The Sean O'Connell Show / Lauren Beck on the World Cup, USMNT vs Belgium, Flo Balogun's eligible to play, Outrage around the decision + more

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Lauren Beck on the World Cup, USMNT vs Belgium, Flo Balogun's eligible to play, Outrage around the decision + more · The Sean O'Connell Show

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  Speaker 1: Rock you tune to the Sean O'Connell Show for the
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  Speaker 1: Murdoch Chevrolet Studio of ESPN seven hundred at ninety two
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  Speaker 1: one alf M.
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  Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Sean O'Connell Show. Welcome in Lauren Beck.
• 0:23
  Speaker 3: World Cup Insider for our purposes today brought to you
• 0:26
  Speaker 3: by Beer Bar, best place in Salt Lake City to
• 0:29
  Speaker 3: go watch the World Cup Games. It'll be a packed
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: watch party tonight. Get down there early. If you have
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: intentions to get us versus Belgium in the Round of
• 0:39
  Speaker 3: sixteen starting at six pm on Fox, you might want
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  Speaker 3: to head over right after work.
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  Speaker 2: Lauren Beck, Welcome back to the show. How are you?
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  Speaker 4: Oh, thank you?
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  Speaker 5: I am great.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: How are you Sean doing awesome? Did you have a
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  Speaker 2: fun Fourth of July?
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  Speaker 5: I did.
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  Speaker 4: I was pretty chill forth, just kind of hung out
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  Speaker 4: at home most of the day. That sent my toddler
• 0:58
  Speaker 4: off to a parade with Ian laws and hung out
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  Speaker 4: at home with the newborn.
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  Speaker 2: So yeah, kind of nice, nice, all right.
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  Speaker 3: Big decision came down over fourth of July weekend from
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  Speaker 3: FIFA that the red card for flow ballagain. The suspension
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  Speaker 3: would be suspended, meaning he gets to play will be
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  Speaker 3: available for the game against Belgium. Obviously this is controversial
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  Speaker 3: for everyone who's not an American soccer fan, But as
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  Speaker 3: someone who's followed this team closely and followed the sports
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  Speaker 3: so closely, where do you come out on it, Because
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  Speaker 3: it's it's not wholly unprecedented, but this is as high
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  Speaker 3: profile of the decision as FIFA is ever going to make.
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  Speaker 2: It seems.
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  Speaker 5: Yeah.
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  Speaker 4: I think it's an interesting one to watch people react
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  Speaker 4: to because I understand why people are upset that it's
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  Speaker 4: happened the way that it has, why Belgium is upset
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  Speaker 4: about it. But at the same time, this outrage didn't
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  Speaker 4: exist when FIFA gave this ruling in favor of Christiano
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  Speaker 4: Ronaldo before the World Cup started. He had a three
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  Speaker 4: game suspension. They suspended his suspension as they did with Balgan,
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  Speaker 4: and no one has no one's been talking about it.
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  Speaker 4: It's been a nothing burger for this World Cup for
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  Speaker 4: Ronaldo to be playing. But suddenly because it's the US,
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  Speaker 4: because it's Balgin, because Donald Trump is saying, yes, I
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  Speaker 4: made a phone call, It's it's becoming a very big
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  Speaker 4: thing around this World Cup, and I just think it's
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  Speaker 4: so interesting. I understand again the outrage of it. But
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  Speaker 4: at the end of the day, I haven't seen anybody
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  Speaker 4: disagree that this was the correct or agree that this
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  Speaker 4: is the red card given in this game against Balgan,
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  Speaker 4: So I think it's fair to have this this outcome
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  Speaker 4: to have him eligible for this game because it was
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  Speaker 4: not the correct decision. Var was not used correctly to
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  Speaker 4: give this red card. But I get both sides a
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  Speaker 4: little bit. But if you're going to be this mad
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  Speaker 4: about Balgan, then you've got to be upset about Ronaldo
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  Speaker 4: as well, and we're just not seeing the same outrage.
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  Speaker 4: So for me, it's let's move on.
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  Speaker 2: I am.
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  Speaker 3: I don't think we'll get another version of this in
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  Speaker 3: this tournament. But like for the sake of a hypothetical,
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  Speaker 3: let's say that Erlyn Holland for Norway ends up with
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  Speaker 3: a similar red card. Right is given kind of a
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  Speaker 3: bad red card, and so he's supposed to be out
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  Speaker 3: for the next round. I think a lot of people
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  Speaker 3: their response to that, And obviously he's a much bigger
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  Speaker 3: name and a much more important player on the international
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  Speaker 3: stage than Plow Baligan is. But I think that a
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  Speaker 3: lot of people's response, even the neutral non Norway sports
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  Speaker 3: fans would just be like, you can't have that guy
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  Speaker 3: out on that call. Like we would probably agree if
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  Speaker 3: it was the exact same call against a player like that,
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  Speaker 3: that it would be all right for FIFA to take
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  Speaker 3: at least a second look at it and to you know,
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  Speaker 3: maybe overturned something, especially that came from var So. I
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  Speaker 3: guess the requirement is we keep that energy if it
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  Speaker 3: does happen again for anyone else. But is it not
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  Speaker 3: in the best interest of not just soccer but every
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  Speaker 3: sport to make sure that officiating is done correctly and
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  Speaker 3: if you have to go back retroactively to correct a mistake,
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  Speaker 3: shouldn't we do that?
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  Speaker 5: No?
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  Speaker 4: Absolutely, And that's that's kind of one of the other
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  Speaker 4: talking points is FIFA has said, you know, we will
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  Speaker 4: not be taking back these red cards. It's not part
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  Speaker 4: of the protocol for the World Cup. But this is
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  Speaker 4: it's not a thing we're doing, but we will suspend
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  Speaker 4: a suspension and kind of put you on probation. And
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  Speaker 4: that's it's kind of opened.
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  Speaker 5: The floodgates in a way.
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  Speaker 4: I mean, as you said, you would hope that there'd
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  Speaker 4: be consistency, and there's already calls for that. England had
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  Speaker 4: a player get a red card last night, Jerald Kwanza,
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  Speaker 4: there's people talking about submitting an appeal for that. France
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  Speaker 4: has submitted an appeal for Elise as yellow card against Paraguay,
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  Speaker 4: So it's kind of opened the floodgates in terms of
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  Speaker 4: I'm sure that the appeals, I mean, you're appealing as
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  Speaker 4: much as you can anyway to get these types of
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  Speaker 4: these cards removed in these situations. But it's I'm sure
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  Speaker 4: that FIFA's Disciplinary Committee, which it's supposed to be an
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  Speaker 4: independent committee by the way, is just going to be
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  Speaker 4: busier than ever at this point because the whole world
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  Speaker 4: is talking about this situation as it should be. But yeah,
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  Speaker 4: as you said, if you have to keep the energy
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  Speaker 4: up across the board, if this is if this is.
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  Speaker 5: What we're we're wanting.
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  Speaker 4: But I think from an American perspective, the conversation seems
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  Speaker 4: to be, well, we want to face you when you're
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  Speaker 4: at your best, so why don't you want to face
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  Speaker 4: us when we're at our best?
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  Speaker 5: In Belgium?
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  Speaker 4: And again I understand Belgium's perspective here, but why wouldn't
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  Speaker 4: you want to face a team at their best when
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  Speaker 4: it's going to be the most competitive.
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  Speaker 5: It's going to try you the most, so yeah, you.
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  Speaker 5: It's a shame that the situation.
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  Speaker 4: Has gone down the way that it has because it
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  Speaker 4: does raise some eyebrows and some questions. But at the
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  Speaker 4: end of the day, I think it is the right
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  Speaker 4: decision and hopefully it raises the correct questions and how
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  Speaker 4: var handles situations and the images and the slow motions
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  Speaker 4: that they show to the referee during the game to
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  Speaker 4: reach those decisions.
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  Speaker 3: Let's take the political and the controversial out of this
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  Speaker 3: and let's just talk about this from an x's and
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  Speaker 3: O standpoint. Baligan's presence in this game makes how big
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  Speaker 3: of a difference for TMOSA.
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  Speaker 4: I think at this point it also it hypes the
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  Speaker 4: team to have him out there. Personally, I know Belgium
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  Speaker 4: beat the US five to two earlier this year. It
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  Speaker 4: was not a good game for the US. I think
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  Speaker 4: this is a very different matchup between these two teams
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  Speaker 4: at this point in time. Belgium is not a team
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  Speaker 4: that I personally am that worried about. But the boost
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  Speaker 4: now that I think it would have been important under
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  Speaker 4: normal circumstances, card no controversy to have Balligan in this game,
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  Speaker 4: but the boost that it's now given the US to
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  Speaker 4: have him available.
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  Speaker 5: For this match. I do think that it changes with the.
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  Speaker 4: Circumstances around the whole situation. But he's been so massive
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  Speaker 4: the United States in this World Cup. I mean, you
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  Speaker 4: can't you can't understate or overstate, excuse me, what he's
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  Speaker 4: done and how important he's been the three goals that
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  Speaker 4: he's provided. He's a danger man and that's why Belgium
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  Speaker 4: doesn't want him out there on that field. But it's
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  Speaker 4: a great opportunity. Belgium widely regarded as one of the
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  Speaker 4: best teams in the world, despite sorry, not having actually
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  Speaker 4: won anything with all that merit. So Belgium's kind of
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  Speaker 4: a conundrum for me. They they've always the last few years,
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  Speaker 4: they've had the talent, they've had the big names, but
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  Speaker 4: they haven't done anything with that, and they just say,
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  Speaker 4: stay sitting near the top of the finger FIFA rankings,
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  Speaker 4: you're in year out.
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  Speaker 5: But I don't know.
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  Speaker 4: I wasn't worried about this Belgium team without Flow. I'm
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  Speaker 4: I'm less worried about it now.
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  Speaker 3: Lauren Beck is our guest here talking a little World
• 8:10
  Speaker 3: Cup soccer coverage of the World Cup here on ESPN
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: seven hundred brought to you by our friends at beer Bar.
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: You're number one spot to watch all World Cup games.
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: Get over there early if you're planning on doing so
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: tonight as USA takes on Belgium in the round of sixteen.
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: Around the World Cup, we have seen again some of
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  Speaker 3: the big stars.
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  Speaker 2: They're just shining.
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  Speaker 3: Messi with more great games, goal and assist the other
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  Speaker 3: night in an incredible match against against Cape Verd and
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  Speaker 3: obviously Erlin Holland with two goals killing him Bape.
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  Speaker 2: He's upsetting people, but he's unbelievable.
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  Speaker 3: The overall tournament, the soccer that we're seeing, you know,
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  Speaker 3: where are you finding surprises?
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  Speaker 2: Where is it going exactly the way you thought it would?
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  Speaker 4: No, I think there's there's definitely been some surprises, especially
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  Speaker 4: when you look at, you know, the Argentina going into
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  Speaker 4: extra time with Cape Verde and the goals that they
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  Speaker 4: were scoring in that game as well, absolutely incredible story.
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  Speaker 4: I was really torn on that one because I do
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  Speaker 4: want I did want Argentina to go through, but it's
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  Speaker 4: it's hard not to cheer for a really true underdog
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  Speaker 4: in the World Cup especially, But I think for the
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  Speaker 4: most part, going the way you would expect, you know,
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  Speaker 4: a couple outliers here and there. The England Mexico game
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  Speaker 4: last night was just as chaotic as I hoped it
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  Speaker 4: would be. I think some people were surprised with Norway
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  Speaker 4: and how good they have been. But when you have
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  Speaker 4: Early Holland, it's the man's a machine.
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  Speaker 5: As much as I dislike the club that he played for, you.
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  Speaker 4: Have to love the man because he's He's just so
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  Speaker 4: delightful on and off the field. He's so funny to watch,
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  Speaker 4: just a great character and a great goal score. But
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  Speaker 4: Brazil hasn't been the Brazil that you would think and
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  Speaker 4: hope they would be for a very long time. So
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  Speaker 4: I think for the most part this has been going
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  Speaker 4: the way I want it. I thought it would be.
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  Speaker 4: But as you mentioned in bobbe Messi, Holland all I
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  Speaker 4: mean and even Harry Kane now on six goals for England,
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  Speaker 4: it's quite the race. I mean, you look at the
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  Speaker 4: players on four goals and that normally is enough to
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  Speaker 4: be in the Golden Boot conversation in this World Cup
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  Speaker 4: that the seven that in Bobe Messi and Holland are
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  Speaker 4: sitting on is absolutely incredible. It's been it's been very fun,
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  Speaker 4: a very fun World Cup. There was a lot of
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  Speaker 4: controversy around expanding it to forty eight teams, but I
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  Speaker 4: think it's been one of the most fun World Cups
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  Speaker 4: we've had in recent years.
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  Speaker 3: I am definitely guilty of being prisoner to the moment
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  Speaker 3: on a lot of things, but this really does feel
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  Speaker 3: like a moment, especially with this Balligan controversy and whatnot,
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  Speaker 3: where I don't know soccer, the relationship America has with
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  Speaker 3: soccer I think will change.
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  Speaker 2: I think is going to change after this.
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  Speaker 3: Of course we don't know until we get to after this,
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  Speaker 3: But does it feel that way for you?
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  Speaker 4: Yeah?
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  Speaker 5: It does.
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  Speaker 4: I think there's you know, the World Cup is always
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  Speaker 4: a big deal, but when it's happening anywhere else in
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  Speaker 4: the world, it's not going to be as central.
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  Speaker 5: But with the focus really.
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  Speaker 4: Being on the United States and having so many host
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  Speaker 4: cities in games here, I think that that that average
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  Speaker 4: sports fan is a lot more tuned in. And I
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  Speaker 4: think that the thing with the Baaligan red card is
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  Speaker 4: where you lose some fans and you know, people they had.
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  Speaker 4: There's a lot of suggestions on how to fix, quote
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: unquote fix some rules in soccer, just as I'm sure
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  Speaker 4: a lot of people outside of the United States have
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  Speaker 4: suggestions for American football or basketball or things like that.
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  Speaker 4: So it's definitely bringing in more conversation and more fans,
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  Speaker 4: and it's really fun to see because soccer has been
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  Speaker 4: the highest growing sport in the United States for a
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  Speaker 4: good number of years at this point, but this will
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  Speaker 4: boost it and I'm curious to see what the leagues
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  Speaker 4: in this country NWSL and MLS are able to do
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  Speaker 4: with this boost because it will exist. I mean, it's
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: people I've never talked about soccer with before are talking
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  Speaker 4: to me about soccer, and it's just been really fun
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  Speaker 4: to see how many people are locked into this World Cup.
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  Speaker 3: There's another game today that probably would have been there,
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  Speaker 3: probably is just as meaningful, just as important, just as
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  Speaker 3: much of a feature for the average world soccer fan
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  Speaker 3: that is being overshadowed now because I think because of
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  Speaker 3: the US controversy. But the day game, the afternoon game,
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  Speaker 3: how do you see that one going?
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  Speaker 4: I think this is going to be Spain. Portugal has
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  Speaker 4: a lot of really good pieces, but I think this
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  Speaker 4: goes Spain's direction. They've both teams have been okay throughout
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  Speaker 4: the tournament. I haven't been overly impressed. I know that
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  Speaker 4: sounds maybe a little bit crazy, but I haven't been
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  Speaker 4: overly impressed with Spain. I think they've done what they've
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  Speaker 4: needed to do in this tournament so far. The game
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  Speaker 4: against Austria was maybe the first time that I saw
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  Speaker 4: them and went, Okay, this is this is maybe getting
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  Speaker 4: right on the on the right track for them. Portugal
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  Speaker 4: again a lot of really big names, a good win,
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  Speaker 4: a controversial win against Croatia in the last round, but
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  Speaker 4: kind of struggled through the group stage a bit.
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  Speaker 5: I think.
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  Speaker 4: I think this is going to be Spain. I'm very
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  Speaker 4: interested to see how these guys match up, because, like
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  Speaker 4: I said, I think Portugal has been about where I
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  Speaker 4: would expect them to be. But Spain, Spain, I think,
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  Speaker 4: has been underperforming a little bit, and they're the reigning
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  Speaker 4: European champs, so I think this could be a very
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  Speaker 4: interesting matchup. But I think we're going to see Spain
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  Speaker 4: go through on this one o'clock game.
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  Speaker 2: We'll be watching it closely.
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  Speaker 3: If you want to get to Texas today, if you
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: can hop on a flight now, tickets are available for
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: as low as fourteen hundred dollars.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: At that price, you can't afford not to go.
• 14:21
  Speaker 4: My parents are in Texas actually right now, in the
• 14:23
  Speaker 4: Dallas area, and they looked at tickets. They did find
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: them for eleven hundred. I don't know if they're going.
• 14:27
  Speaker 4: We've kind of been nudging them to do it, but
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: I don't know if they will.
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: So we talked about this because Big twelve media Days
• 14:35
  Speaker 3: are tomorrow and Wednesday in Frisco, Texas, right right around
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: the corner, and we're like, oh, there's an elimination game
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: the day before, maybe we should fly down early. I
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: don't think we could have got the tickets either way,
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: but man, it's a little fomo on this one. Portugal
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  Speaker 3: Spain I think is going to be a heck of
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: a match. And obviously tonight, yeah, USA Belgium. I don't
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  Speaker 3: want to put words in your mouth, but USA gets through.
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  Speaker 4: Yes, no, you can. You can definitely put words in
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  Speaker 4: my mouth on that one. I'm feeling confident in this
• 15:05
  Speaker 4: US team tonight.
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  Speaker 3: It's great to hear from you and that delightful little
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: bundle of joy I can hear in the background, So yes,
• 15:15
  Speaker 3: I know it's not easy to juggle the two appreciate
• 15:18
  Speaker 3: you doing so.
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: Thanks for your time, Lauren.
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: Of course, thanks Asie.
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: You have a good one, Lauren Beck.
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: Little World Cup Talk brought to you by our friends
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: over at beer Bar