Latest / Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos / USMNT World Cup Roster Reaction: Surprises, Snubs & Tactical Questions

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USMNT World Cup Roster Reaction: Surprises, Snubs & Tactical Questions · Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos

0:00
Speaker 1: Although it's a great team. We have excellent players, they
0:03
Speaker 1: all play in big clubs, it lacked a little bit
0:05
Speaker 1: of that American spirit, right, and I think Luna had
0:09
Speaker 1: that and Luna helped Pulchettino bring that back. And I
0:12
Speaker 1: think by not selecting him to this roster, he was
0:16
Speaker 1: not as loyal to Luna as Luna was to him.
0:22
Speaker 2: What's going on, everybody, Welcome back to Inside American Soccer.
0:25
Speaker 2: I am USMNC insider Tom Bogert, and I'm joined by
0:28
Speaker 2: one of the greatest players in US soccer history, better
0:30
Speaker 2: than three World Cups, my friend tab Ramos Tab. We've
0:33
Speaker 2: got a big show today. The United States official roster
0:36
Speaker 2: reveal is coming on Tuesday in New York City, but
0:39
Speaker 2: that didn't stop us from getting to find out the
0:41
Speaker 2: whole twenty six man roster. Reporting from myself and Paulton Orio,
0:44
Speaker 2: as well as the guardians Jeff Ruter and Pablo Mauer,
0:47
Speaker 2: means that we have the twenty six players who have
0:49
Speaker 2: been informed they have made the squad and the rest
0:52
Speaker 2: who did not.
0:53
Speaker 3: Tab. We didn't have to wait for the roster.
0:55
Speaker 1: How are you feeling, I'm I'm pretty good, and you know,
0:58
Speaker 1: we've been waiting this for for this for a long time.
1:01
Speaker 1: I'm glad it's finally here, but I have to say,
1:04
Speaker 1: you know, I you know, I keep reading all these
1:06
Speaker 1: articles about how the Guardian found this out and and
1:09
Speaker 1: and knowing how I know you Listen, I know at
1:13
Speaker 1: the end of the day, you and you and Paul
1:16
Speaker 1: did all the work. And I know you you were
1:18
Speaker 1: the first. So whatever credit anybody else is getting the
1:21
Speaker 1: Guardian or whoever else, they can say whatever they want,
1:24
Speaker 1: but I know that you were the guy that found
1:26
Speaker 1: out who the roster was. So tell us a little
1:29
Speaker 1: bit more about it.
1:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, so not to got to try to be vague
1:33
Speaker 2: here to protect sources, but like to be clear, Paul
1:37
Speaker 2: and I and I know Jeff and Pablo too, I
1:39
Speaker 2: know that they did the same thing. I can't tell
1:41
Speaker 2: you how many people I called it right, Like, it's
1:43
Speaker 2: this wasn't from one person or two people or three people.
1:46
Speaker 2: This is sources and relationships built up over a long time,
1:50
Speaker 2: and you keep piecing together, keep asking the questions, and
1:53
Speaker 2: you keep on reporting it out. It's not as if
1:56
Speaker 2: we just saw our list and was like all right, cool,
1:57
Speaker 2: copy and paste. Like it was a painstake process. To
2:00
Speaker 2: go through to get to make sure every detail was
2:03
Speaker 2: right and everything was as perfect as it could be,
2:05
Speaker 2: because if you get one small thing wrong, man, like
2:08
Speaker 2: that is it's not something that we can live with.
2:11
Speaker 2: And that's also why like we've been careful with the
2:13
Speaker 2: framing as well, Like even after Tuesday night, like that
2:18
Speaker 2: doesn't bind the United States. You can still like the
2:21
Speaker 2: official roster does not need to be submitted until June first. Now,
2:24
Speaker 2: the only thing I could see happening is injuries, right
2:27
Speaker 2: for that to change, but to be clear, and all
2:29
Speaker 2: of the roster reveals for all the World Cup teams
2:31
Speaker 2: that have happened already, nothing is set in stone until
2:34
Speaker 2: June first, so just legality purposes and if they wanted
2:37
Speaker 2: to make a change last minute. But yeah, this is
2:39
Speaker 2: not something that was handed to zed. This was not
2:42
Speaker 2: something that was handed to my pals at the Guardian, right.
2:44
Speaker 2: This was painstaking and difficult reporting.
2:47
Speaker 1: Now, I'll say this, so obviously there's a lot of
2:50
Speaker 1: work on your part. I assume forty fifty calls at least,
2:53
Speaker 1: that you're you're calling people all the time, because I
2:56
Speaker 1: know that's what you do. But that's the only way
2:58
Speaker 1: to do it, really right, you have to you have
3:00
Speaker 1: to get the information. Now. I will say this too,
3:03
Speaker 1: you know there's something to say about and I don't
3:06
Speaker 1: know if you saw this, but you know, Spain releases
3:09
Speaker 1: roster just sort of like Brazil did it too. And
3:12
Speaker 1: I saw a video of Gavi right finding out that
3:15
Speaker 1: he made it, and I think lamnha male. They gave
3:18
Speaker 1: Lamina Mile the credit for recording gave finding out that
3:21
Speaker 1: he made the that he made the World Cup team.
3:24
Speaker 1: And if you saw his face, he's kind of crying,
3:26
Speaker 1: He's so happy. The teammates are clapping for him. Why
3:30
Speaker 1: do we not have that? Why don't we do it
3:32
Speaker 1: that way? Why do the players have to know before
3:36
Speaker 1: there is an actual announcement, because there's something to that,
3:40
Speaker 1: like and maybe just me because you know, obviously I
3:43
Speaker 1: love the game so much, but I kind of I
3:46
Speaker 1: think it would have been nice to live that with
3:48
Speaker 1: the players. Right. What about you have cameras almost like
3:51
Speaker 1: like an NFL draft, Right, you have players and now
3:55
Speaker 1: you find out, hey, you made the team. And this
3:57
Speaker 1: is like, because Tom, I have to say, you know,
4:00
Speaker 1: I go into a World Cup. There's been many great
4:02
Speaker 1: players in US soccer and in other countries. Obviously, but
4:05
Speaker 1: making it to a World Cup is not easy. You know,
4:07
Speaker 1: a lot of things have to add up for you
4:09
Speaker 1: to make it at that time. Not only do you
4:11
Speaker 1: have to be a great player top twenty in your
4:14
Speaker 1: country or whatever, but you have to be in good
4:16
Speaker 1: shape at the moment. You have to be playing well.
4:18
Speaker 1: So many things have to be going and in place
4:20
Speaker 1: for you to make it. And I think it's such
4:22
Speaker 1: a special moment that I feel for the players that
4:27
Speaker 1: kind of just found out by getting an email or
4:29
Speaker 1: a phone call. I'll say that.
4:31
Speaker 3: So that's the thing.
4:32
Speaker 2: Like, so the reason why the US didn't do I
4:34
Speaker 2: guess it's overly choreographed all twenty six point everybody but Richards.
4:38
Speaker 2: Because Chris Richards is hopefully playing for Crystal Palace this
4:40
Speaker 2: week in the Conference rut final. All the players who's
4:42
Speaker 2: who are or either the season is done or MLS
4:44
Speaker 2: has taking a break, they'll be in New York City
4:46
Speaker 2: for this announcement. I just think it's overly choreographed it
4:50
Speaker 2: And that's fine. You make that decision, but you run
4:53
Speaker 2: the risk of this exact thing happening. I think that
4:55
Speaker 2: it would be naive if US Soccer did not expect
4:58
Speaker 2: this to come out, and like again if if if
5:00
Speaker 2: people aren't some people aren't thrilled. Most people understand and
5:03
Speaker 2: most people were excited by it. But I got a
5:05
Speaker 2: few comments of like f you, like why did you
5:07
Speaker 2: ruin this moment?
5:08
Speaker 3: All right?
5:08
Speaker 2: Well, if it wasn't me, it was gonna be The Guardian,
5:10
Speaker 2: And if it wasn't the Guardian, it would have been
5:12
Speaker 2: another one of the excellent journalists covering this team.
5:14
Speaker 3: And if it wasn't one.
5:15
Speaker 2: Of us, it would have been somebody on social media,
5:17
Speaker 2: because we've seen that happen before, so it's part of
5:21
Speaker 2: the job.
5:21
Speaker 3: I get it. I don't love doing like roster news
5:24
Speaker 3: or whatever.
5:25
Speaker 2: But again, if it wasn't me, if it wasn't a Guardian,
5:27
Speaker 2: if it it wasn't Pultonoria, it was gonna be somebody else.
5:30
Speaker 2: And the only like I thought that it was cool too,
5:32
Speaker 2: like finding out that way for all the players at
5:35
Speaker 2: the one time. The only thing is is like I
5:37
Speaker 2: don't know if you saw there's a video of Joel Pedro.
5:40
Speaker 2: I was expecting to make the Brazil roster, had one
5:42
Speaker 2: of those like little parties that was expecting to hear
5:46
Speaker 2: his name called, and it wasn't I have not been
5:48
Speaker 2: able to watch the video. I have no interest in
5:49
Speaker 2: watching the video of what of him being heartbroken, right,
5:52
Speaker 2: But that is the only way all of that being said, though,
5:55
Speaker 2: what I can report is it's not as if the
5:58
Speaker 2: coaching staff was giving a personal touch and calling all
6:00
Speaker 2: of these guys. At one pm on Friday, the fifty
6:03
Speaker 2: five players in the preliminary roster got an email. Twenty
6:06
Speaker 2: six of them their dreams came true. It said you're
6:08
Speaker 2: going to the World Cup. The rest of them was
6:10
Speaker 2: you have not made the final roster. They didn't get
6:12
Speaker 2: a phone call, they didn't get an explanation. And again,
6:15
Speaker 2: if that's how you want to do it, whatever, that's fine.
6:17
Speaker 2: I'd probably disagree with it. But like then, you could
6:20
Speaker 2: have done a thing where that everybody found out kind
6:23
Speaker 2: of at the same time, and you wouldn't have to
6:24
Speaker 2: worry about this getting reported out. But I mean, it's
6:29
Speaker 2: it's delicate. I get it on both sides. It's just listen,
6:32
Speaker 2: if you want to overly choreograph the event, people are
6:35
Speaker 2: gonna find out. And that is it is what it is.
6:37
Speaker 2: It's our job, it's my job. And now let's talk
6:39
Speaker 2: about that roster. So tab I'm gonna I'm gonna just
6:42
Speaker 2: list off at twenty six and to the listeners. We're
6:45
Speaker 2: gonna say it a bunch of times on this show,
6:46
Speaker 2: so if you miss it here, you don't have to rewind.
6:49
Speaker 2: We're gonna reset the roster as many times as possible.
6:52
Speaker 2: But I just want to set the table before TAB
6:54
Speaker 2: we go into your biggest surprises, whether that's inclusions or omissions,
6:57
Speaker 2: starting at goalkeepers Matt Freeze, Matt Turner, Chris Brady, center
7:02
Speaker 2: backs Chris Richards, Tim Reim, Mark McKenzie, Austin, Trusty Miles Robinson,
7:07
Speaker 2: wing backs, fullbacks Anthony Robinson, Sergenio Desk, Alex Freeman, Joe Scally,
7:13
Speaker 2: Max Arfsen, Deeper midfielders Tyler Adams, Weston McKinney, Christian Rodond
7:18
Speaker 2: Sebastian Buralter, attacking midfielder, slash wingers Christian Poolsick, Tim Wayer,
7:24
Speaker 2: Malik Tilman, gior Reina, Brendan Ronson, Alexon Dejas, center forwards,
7:29
Speaker 2: Flow Balgan, Ricardo Peppi, Hajji Wright. The biggest omissions are
7:34
Speaker 2: Diego Lunah Tanner, Tessaman, and Aiden Morris. So TAB, what
7:39
Speaker 2: was the most surprising thing for you whether it's omissions
7:41
Speaker 2: or inclusions.
7:43
Speaker 1: Well, I'll start. I'll start by saying first that, you know,
7:47
Speaker 1: I'm really happy for the guys that made the team.
7:49
Speaker 1: Obviously it's a huge moment for them. You know, for
7:52
Speaker 1: for most players, is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
7:56
Speaker 1: I know that half the roster, exactly half the roster,
7:59
Speaker 1: thirteen of them participated in the last World Cup, so
8:02
Speaker 1: half of them are coming back, but for thirteen of them,
8:05
Speaker 1: it's the first opportunity to participate. So I'll say that
8:08
Speaker 1: it's a it's a great honor and congratulations to them.
8:11
Speaker 1: In terms of what I see here, I'll also say this,
8:16
Speaker 1: I don't see anyone on the roster that doesn't belong there, right,
8:20
Speaker 1: So I'll start with that because they there. I think
8:22
Speaker 1: all the players who are there are deserving. I mean,
8:24
Speaker 1: can you potentially say, well, you know, gi Arena hasn't
8:27
Speaker 1: played enough, is that deserving of a position? I think
8:31
Speaker 1: it is because I think he's he's proven out and
8:33
Speaker 1: off that he's a little bit different. But here's here's
8:36
Speaker 1: where I'm going to go with this. Roster. Number one
8:38
Speaker 1: is is very I think that it's it's sort of
8:41
Speaker 1: easy to tell that we are going to play with
8:43
Speaker 1: three center backs, yes, because you don't. I mean we
8:47
Speaker 1: have we have ten defenders on this roster, and potentially
8:51
Speaker 1: you can say that eleven if you consider that way
8:54
Speaker 1: I played the last window as outside back, that would
8:57
Speaker 1: make it eleven. Right. The other thing that really sort
9:02
Speaker 1: of draws my attention. There's three things. The second one
9:05
Speaker 1: is the outside outside back overload, right, so many of
9:09
Speaker 1: them right there, there's there's you know, potentially and again,
9:12
Speaker 1: both Scali and Alex Freeman are deserving of making this team.
9:17
Speaker 1: But I just didn't see in what world that could happen.
9:21
Speaker 1: I just don't see it. I think it's a repetitive.
9:23
Speaker 1: I think they both can play both positions, and they're
9:27
Speaker 1: both not starters in either position likely, right. So that's
9:32
Speaker 1: the second one, and then the last one I have
9:34
Speaker 1: to tell you, I don't see where if you're not
9:38
Speaker 1: going to have a deep central midfield as we planned,
9:42
Speaker 1: I don't see where you picked Christian rolldown in Sebastian
9:46
Speaker 1: Burholter ahead of Tanner Testament and Aiden Morris. I just
9:49
Speaker 1: don't see that. And by the way, they're all deserving
9:52
Speaker 1: of going. But if you're going to have depth. Then okay,
9:56
Speaker 1: of course rolled Down is your guy. Of course Burholter
9:59
Speaker 1: is your guy because he deserves But I don't see
10:01
Speaker 1: that in a world where Testament is not there, Morris
10:04
Speaker 1: is not there, and Johnny Cardozo's injured. I didn't see that.
10:07
Speaker 3: Coming, Tad.
10:08
Speaker 2: We can go back to previous episodes. How many times
10:11
Speaker 2: did you or I have Tanner Testament in our strongest
10:14
Speaker 2: eleven for this team? The question was is he going
10:17
Speaker 2: to start? Not is he going to be on the roster?
10:19
Speaker 2: I'm I was really shocked by that one, so I
10:22
Speaker 2: think I would start with that. But the defenders, right,
10:26
Speaker 2: it's too many, so they better be playing with three
10:29
Speaker 2: enterbacks because if not, you took too many. If Chris
10:33
Speaker 2: sources tell me Chris richards Is, there is not a
10:35
Speaker 2: question unless that he plays on Wednesday and gets reinjured,
10:38
Speaker 2: if a new thing happens. That's the only way that
10:40
Speaker 2: his status were his availabilities in doubt that he is
10:44
Speaker 2: going to be fine for the World Cup. And again,
10:48
Speaker 2: the first game is on June twelfth.
10:49
Speaker 1: We got some time and as you said, and as
10:52
Speaker 1: you said, you have until June want to replace them,
10:55
Speaker 1: So if you were to get hurt, in the final,
10:56
Speaker 1: you can still bring someone.
10:57
Speaker 2: Else and if he's available as expected, he's playing every
11:03
Speaker 2: minute unless there's an injury suspension. Right Mark McKenzie, if
11:08
Speaker 2: he's your starter, like he could play every minute. Tim
11:11
Speaker 2: Reim same thing. So you have five natural center backs
11:14
Speaker 2: Richard's Reem mackenzie, Trusty Robinson in a back three, Alex
11:18
Speaker 2: Freeman and Joe Scalley can play there. In fact, Joe
11:21
Speaker 2: Scally in a back three is not a wingback, he's
11:24
Speaker 2: a He's an outside center back or stay at home fullback.
11:27
Speaker 3: That's how his game is.
11:28
Speaker 2: And again I'm good with him being there, but you
11:30
Speaker 2: so that I view him more as a sixth center
11:32
Speaker 2: back than a fifth wing back. But either way, right,
11:35
Speaker 2: like we can either way, it's too many. You didn't
11:37
Speaker 2: you didn't need a fifth wing back and a fifth
11:40
Speaker 2: center back like that's it's it's too much.
11:43
Speaker 1: Well, what what makes it even more confusing is the
11:45
Speaker 1: fact that in the last window, way I played in
11:47
Speaker 1: that position. Why so many outside backs that play that
11:50
Speaker 1: in particular right backs? Right, Because and then you can say, okay,
11:54
Speaker 1: well if you're taking that many on the right, and
11:57
Speaker 1: then then then you could be thinking, well, maybe he
11:59
Speaker 1: was thinking that he'll use desk on the left side
12:01
Speaker 1: if he needs them, but you also have Arson on
12:04
Speaker 1: the left side, so you don't really need them. So
12:06
Speaker 1: it's it's a little bit, it's a little bit confusing,
12:09
Speaker 1: but I have to say it just goes along the
12:12
Speaker 1: lines of everything we've seen for the last year and
12:14
Speaker 1: a half.
12:15
Speaker 2: Honestly, tap like I don't want to I'm gonna iso
12:18
Speaker 2: that back to you, like the explain he called up
12:21
Speaker 2: seventy one players in the calendar year twenty twenty five.
12:24
Speaker 3: That's insane.
12:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's too many. But now this is
12:29
Speaker 1: a little bit what starts to worry me, right because
12:32
Speaker 1: now we're starting to think, because we're gonna have to
12:34
Speaker 1: start playing with Okay, what's the lineup? Now we in
12:36
Speaker 1: a three three five two sort of what that's what
12:42
Speaker 1: we looked at. If you look at you know, Polisic
12:44
Speaker 1: as that second guy, and now are we looking at
12:46
Speaker 1: McKinney as the guy next to Adams, Because I can't
12:49
Speaker 1: see it any other way unless he's seeing roll down
12:53
Speaker 1: in that position or he's seeing Berholter in that position, which,
12:56
Speaker 1: by the way, again I will say it again deserving
12:58
Speaker 1: of going. But I take sort of backups as you
13:02
Speaker 1: get into maybe a second round. Then you start, you know,
13:06
Speaker 1: meeting more important teams. You know, I have a little
13:10
Speaker 1: bit of trouble of putting this together and making it
13:12
Speaker 1: makes sense to me at this point.
13:14
Speaker 2: So so tab the other side of my like you
13:17
Speaker 2: brought too many defenders, is one of those spots. It
13:20
Speaker 2: should be Tanner Testament or or Aiden Morris.
13:24
Speaker 3: Wes.
13:25
Speaker 2: McKinney in this setup has to be the starter next
13:27
Speaker 2: to Tyterer Adams, and I think he is best when
13:30
Speaker 2: he is playing as an attacking midfield in this setup
13:31
Speaker 2: because if you're playing the three four two one, he
13:34
Speaker 2: to get the best out of him and Adams, he's
13:37
Speaker 2: got to be further forward. And then you put a
13:39
Speaker 2: Tanner Testament in Aiden Morris well on this team, it's
13:42
Speaker 2: going to be a burl to or rolled down.
13:43
Speaker 3: Next to him.
13:44
Speaker 2: But if McKinney isn't being viewed as a partner, the
13:47
Speaker 2: partner next to Adams rather than in front of Adams,
13:50
Speaker 2: Like that's probably why you only bring.
13:52
Speaker 3: Four unless Malik Tillman is playing back there.
13:55
Speaker 2: But he's been on the record like he hates playing
13:57
Speaker 2: deeper in that spot, So it's just a surprise to
14:00
Speaker 2: me and how quickly it could get thin.
14:02
Speaker 3: I would have probably.
14:04
Speaker 2: Said this no matter what because of how much I
14:05
Speaker 2: rate Tyler Adams, but particularly so now if he doesn't
14:08
Speaker 2: play literally every single minute, this team is in real,
14:12
Speaker 2: real trouble. And then moving forward on the field talking
14:15
Speaker 2: about surprises, actually, let me say poor Aiden Morris, right,
14:19
Speaker 2: I want to I feel bad for all the guys
14:21
Speaker 2: who were the last cuts, but in particular because Aiden
14:23
Speaker 2: Morris finds out on Friday like everybody else, like that
14:27
Speaker 2: that was just the timing. The next morning or the
14:30
Speaker 2: next afternoon in England, he's playing in the promotion playoff
14:34
Speaker 2: final with Middlesbrough.
14:35
Speaker 1: And by the way, by the way he ran the show.
14:38
Speaker 1: Yeah he ran really really good for Burrow and yeah.
14:43
Speaker 2: Like just just to reset this because I don't want
14:44
Speaker 2: to make it incendiary or like I'm saying just because
14:47
Speaker 2: he went to England that he deserves to be definitely
14:50
Speaker 2: deserves to be in the Ros four rol down in Buralter.
14:52
Speaker 2: But if you're Aiden Morris, he went to Burrow the
14:55
Speaker 2: first time he had a chance. Even let's look at
14:57
Speaker 2: his teammate Max Orson. Max Orston has ambitions, good to Europe.
15:00
Speaker 2: Max often signed a new contract to get a well
15:02
Speaker 2: deserved pay raise, but that's going to make it harder
15:05
Speaker 2: for him to leave Ada. Morris didn't do that, or
15:07
Speaker 2: his contract was up earlier so he had a smaller
15:10
Speaker 2: extension and then he went to Europe.
15:12
Speaker 3: Rodin didn't. Burhalter hasn't yet. His contracts up at the
15:15
Speaker 3: end of year. Maybe he will. I don't blame either
15:17
Speaker 3: one of them.
15:17
Speaker 2: By the way, if you're Christian Rolldon you will have
15:20
Speaker 2: more important and we'll make more money playing for a
15:23
Speaker 2: very very good Seattle ZONND. Just team Burhalter, let's see
15:26
Speaker 2: what happens. But he's in a fantastic spot with the
15:28
Speaker 2: Vancouver White Cops. But Ida Morris is like I could
15:31
Speaker 2: have stayed in Columbus and made more money, and would
15:34
Speaker 2: that have made it better for me to make the
15:36
Speaker 2: like he's like, I'm playing I want to be Riot.
15:38
Speaker 3: It's not like I spoke to him.
15:39
Speaker 2: This is more just the assumption of I'm playing every
15:42
Speaker 2: week for Middlesbrough, a very good championship team.
15:44
Speaker 3: I was almost named captain this year. What more can
15:47
Speaker 3: I possibly do? So it's very very tough And then
15:50
Speaker 3: to have for Diego Luna.
15:52
Speaker 2: He appeared in seventeen of the eighteen USMNT Games in
15:56
Speaker 2: twenty twenty five, he was a cult center in addition
16:01
Speaker 2: to everything else. I understand, like I again, we can
16:05
Speaker 2: if it ends up ended up being himbvers in Dejas,
16:07
Speaker 2: I get it, like you can.
16:09
Speaker 3: You can talk into that. It's just incongruent.
16:13
Speaker 2: Decision making process from the coaching staff that leaned on
16:16
Speaker 2: him so much and publicly spoke about him as not
16:20
Speaker 2: just somebody important on the field. He's a culture center.
16:23
Speaker 2: The Broken Nose moment, He's got big balls, like that
16:25
Speaker 2: quote from Pots like, for him to not be selected
16:29
Speaker 2: in a twenty six man roster is a shock.
16:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think. I think that hurts a little bit
16:34
Speaker 1: because I will say this about that. You know about
16:38
Speaker 1: Luna not being selected, he if you recall the day
16:43
Speaker 1: of the Broken Nose, he was the guy that made
16:49
Speaker 1: us think back to past national teams. You know, we
16:53
Speaker 1: for the last six five or six years, we've been
16:56
Speaker 1: talking about how this team, although it's a great team,
17:00
Speaker 1: we have excellent players, they all play in big clubs,
17:03
Speaker 1: it lacked a little bit of that American spirit, right,
17:06
Speaker 1: And I think and I think Luna had that and
17:09
Speaker 1: Luna helped Pulchettino bring that back. And I think by
17:14
Speaker 1: not select on selecting him to this roster, I think
17:18
Speaker 1: he he is not He was not as loyal to
17:23
Speaker 1: Luna as Luna was to him, and that's unfortunate because Luna.
17:27
Speaker 1: I think in a way, we were all rooting for
17:29
Speaker 1: Luna to make the team because he sort of brought
17:32
Speaker 1: that American spirit back and.
17:34
Speaker 3: This poor kid man he was.
17:36
Speaker 2: I still don't understand how he got caught from the
17:37
Speaker 2: Olympic team, but pretty much the last cut in the
17:39
Speaker 2: Olympic team and pretty much the last cut on the
17:42
Speaker 2: World Cup squad.
17:44
Speaker 3: It really hurts.
17:45
Speaker 2: And by the way, like I'm just throwing out information
17:48
Speaker 2: for like, I'm not saying that he deserved to make
17:51
Speaker 2: it ahead of Reina or Tilman necessarily, but Patch has
17:54
Speaker 2: always said, I don't care where you're playing. I just
17:56
Speaker 2: cared that you're playing, and you're playing well. In this
17:59
Speaker 2: calendar year, well, first of all, he's had more minutes
18:02
Speaker 2: for his club, like in league play. In MLS, he
18:06
Speaker 2: didn't debut until March because of an injury. From March
18:09
Speaker 2: till May, he played more minutes than Giororana played in
18:12
Speaker 2: the Buddhistliga from August until May from Malik Tillman. Since
18:17
Speaker 2: March first, Diego Luna has played double the amount of minutes.
18:20
Speaker 2: And again I'm good with Raina and Tilman being there,
18:23
Speaker 2: and we're gonna talk about that more in the next segment.
18:25
Speaker 2: But for all of the like, if you're Diego Luna,
18:29
Speaker 2: you did everything that the coach asked you to and
18:31
Speaker 2: you proved it in camps, you proved it with your club.
18:34
Speaker 2: And he's again one of I think three, probably gonna
18:36
Speaker 2: particular him Morris and Testament, being like, there was not
18:40
Speaker 2: leading anything more that I could have done. Maybe for
18:42
Speaker 2: Testaman and Morris played better in March, right, but nobody
18:46
Speaker 2: played well in March. Those are two really bad performances.
18:49
Speaker 2: So I feel for those guys. But we need to
18:51
Speaker 2: take a really quick break. We're coming up next. We're
18:53
Speaker 2: gonna break down position by position, talk about the tournament
18:57
Speaker 2: management theory, game theory, whatever it is. We'll be right
19:00
Speaker 2: back and please rate, review and subscribed Inside American Soccer
19:03
Speaker 2: with Tom Boger and Tab Brownless where you get your podcast.
19:14
Speaker 2: Welcome back to Inside American Soccer again. We've got the
19:18
Speaker 2: reported twenty six man roster that will not be officially
19:20
Speaker 2: revealed until Tuesday, but myself and Pultinari at the Athletic,
19:24
Speaker 2: as well as Pablo Mara and Jeff Ruter at The
19:26
Speaker 2: Guardian have flit this out and we feel pretty good
19:28
Speaker 2: about it, barring anything that have changed. So let's talk
19:30
Speaker 2: about this roster. Let's go position by position. Goalkeepers, we
19:35
Speaker 2: haven't talked about them at all. Matt Freeze, Matt Turner,
19:37
Speaker 2: Chris Brady. I want to say in one why we
19:41
Speaker 2: started the show by me giving a little bit into
19:42
Speaker 2: my process. One of the things that I heard, and
19:45
Speaker 2: I've talked to enough people that I wasn't going to
19:47
Speaker 2: want to hurt hear this. There was a rumor going
19:49
Speaker 2: around the week before the roster was conveyed to the players.
19:54
Speaker 2: It's like, is Matt Turner? Like have you heard Matt
19:56
Speaker 2: Turner might not be on the team? Like that was
19:58
Speaker 2: a hot like kind of buzz going around. Obviously that
20:01
Speaker 2: was nothing that I reported, because it wasn't anything that
20:04
Speaker 2: ended up being true. But I thought that was very
20:05
Speaker 2: odd and would have been a shock if he didn't
20:07
Speaker 2: make the team. What I was told is the rationale
20:09
Speaker 2: would have been. We believe in Matt Freeze. We don't
20:12
Speaker 2: want it to be a one A, one B thing.
20:14
Speaker 2: We're going to Matt Freeze. But I get tabbed. That
20:16
Speaker 2: would have been dumb to leave Matt Turner off for
20:18
Speaker 2: that reason. Matt Turner is a backup. Chris Brady I
20:20
Speaker 2: think deserves to be the third, but Matt Freeze is
20:22
Speaker 2: going into this camp as the starter.
20:24
Speaker 1: So we believe in Matt Freeze. The guy that didn't
20:26
Speaker 1: play the last window. That's that a little bit what
20:30
Speaker 1: we're talking about, right, the guy that doesn't play all
20:32
Speaker 1: the time. But no, yeah, I think the the top
20:36
Speaker 1: two guys in this obviously, Freeze and Turner were really
20:40
Speaker 1: a no brainer, and I didn't think that that would change,
20:44
Speaker 1: you know, although they you know, we're surprised all the time.
20:48
Speaker 1: I am hoping that now we have Matt Freeze and
20:51
Speaker 1: we don't have to worry about that for the next
20:52
Speaker 1: uh hopefully three, four, five, six games or more.
20:57
Speaker 3: Yeah. Well see, I would have I would have thought
20:58
Speaker 3: the same about Turner. I was from twenty two.
21:00
Speaker 2: I will say though Turners has led MLS in all
21:04
Speaker 2: the shots stopping metrics like the goals minus expected goals
21:07
Speaker 2: stuff like that, this is what he was in New
21:10
Speaker 2: England before he went to Europe. Like he's just an
21:12
Speaker 2: elite shots soopper and it's cool to see him rediscover that.
21:15
Speaker 2: Center backs Chris Richards, Tim Reim, Mark McKenzie, Austin, Trusty,
21:19
Speaker 2: Miles Robinson. Tab I pretty much gave my host spiel
21:22
Speaker 2: at the top that I just think that there's too
21:24
Speaker 2: many center backs. My couple notes here is again, Richard's
21:28
Speaker 2: gonna be fine. That's what we've been told, That's what
21:31
Speaker 2: Pultonoyo's reported that as well. I believe his agent even
21:33
Speaker 2: kind of came out and said that publicly too. Miles Robinson,
21:37
Speaker 2: he liked Luna. They were just holding him out this
21:39
Speaker 2: weekend for c Cincinnati had of an abundance of caution.
21:42
Speaker 2: But he hasn't played ninety minutes since early March. I
21:45
Speaker 2: think that's a bit of a concern at this point,
21:47
Speaker 2: but obviously US Soccer feels good about where he is physically.
21:50
Speaker 3: That'll be fine. But any further thoughts on the center.
21:53
Speaker 1: Backs, No, not really, just what you just mentioned about
21:56
Speaker 1: Miles Robinson. You know, normally center backs aren't held out
22:01
Speaker 1: for precautionary reasons and it's been surprising that it's not
22:05
Speaker 1: just one game. We've seen this now for a little while,
22:09
Speaker 1: and as you said, since March, so I'm surprised, and
22:11
Speaker 1: this may be the reason. Obviously, you know Coacho always
22:14
Speaker 1: has a reason for selecting who he selects. It's not obviously,
22:17
Speaker 1: it's not like Marisio Pochettino and his staff are winging it.
22:20
Speaker 1: So there there's got to be a little bit. I
22:22
Speaker 1: feel it's got to be a little bit of a
22:24
Speaker 1: concern for Miles Robinson's fitness. So when you add Miles
22:28
Speaker 1: Robinson's and and then and then Richard's potential potentially not
22:32
Speaker 1: being one hundred percent, then you can see why the
22:36
Speaker 1: extra defender probably is selected.
22:39
Speaker 2: Outside back slash wingbacks Anthony Robinson and Max Arson on
22:43
Speaker 2: the left, so genior desk, Alex Freeman Joe Scaley on
22:46
Speaker 2: the right. Alex Freeman has shown he could play as
22:48
Speaker 2: that like right sided center back slash right back position
22:52
Speaker 2: and out of out of possession, that kind of elbow
22:55
Speaker 2: back that Pochatino has used, which I didn't know he
22:58
Speaker 2: had this game because he's so good at going far,
23:00
Speaker 2: particularly with Orlando City, he was an attack minded wing back,
23:03
Speaker 2: so that was cool versatility. And then Joe Scalie. He's
23:06
Speaker 2: been somebody who has been able to play as like
23:08
Speaker 2: a right sided center back in a back three or
23:10
Speaker 2: a stay at home full back in a back four.
23:12
Speaker 2: But again we've got five options for these positions. Though
23:15
Speaker 2: if it is the three four to two one that
23:17
Speaker 2: we expect it to be, scali for me is under
23:19
Speaker 2: the center back group, not the outside back group.
23:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would agree with all that, you know, the
23:24
Speaker 1: fact that I mean, there's no question we're deep in
23:26
Speaker 1: that position if we want to look at it that way,
23:28
Speaker 1: because on this roster, we have four players that can
23:31
Speaker 1: play that position, you know, starting with Waya, who you
23:34
Speaker 1: know obviously he plays wide for Marseille and this is
23:37
Speaker 1: uh and he played he played in that position during
23:40
Speaker 1: the last window. So we have four options for that position.
23:45
Speaker 2: Central midfield that we talked about in the first segment.
23:48
Speaker 2: But again Tyler Adams, Weston McKinney, christopherro Don Sebastian Burhalter.
23:52
Speaker 2: It's Adams and I guess mckenny's partnering him, and I'm
23:56
Speaker 2: not sure that's the best use for the both of them,
23:58
Speaker 2: because again McKenny is best when he has not a
24:01
Speaker 2: free role, but he has the ability to roam and
24:05
Speaker 2: create action. I think that's where he's been his best
24:07
Speaker 2: for Juventus as well as the national team. And again
24:09
Speaker 2: he's had his best season ever. I don't want him
24:12
Speaker 2: to be kind of tied down to Hey, hold the
24:14
Speaker 2: Ford be like again, I think Morris and Testaman do
24:17
Speaker 2: that better. Rolled on as well. Burhalter is a little
24:20
Speaker 2: bit more like McKinnon in terms that like when he
24:22
Speaker 2: has the ability to kind of have free range in
24:24
Speaker 2: free rome. Tyler Adams he one of his superpowers. The
24:30
Speaker 2: first is defensive transition and just groundcovering and blowing up
24:34
Speaker 2: anything like that. He's groundcovering and winning the ballback is excellent.
24:37
Speaker 2: His other superpower for me is when he's with the
24:40
Speaker 2: stay at home type of six next to him and
24:42
Speaker 2: he gets to go hunt out of possession. He gets
24:44
Speaker 2: to help meat the press when it's Adams and McKinnie,
24:46
Speaker 2: Adams has to stay home, So you're taking away one
24:48
Speaker 2: of the things he's great at.
24:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, and there's almost not another possibility there right unless
24:57
Speaker 1: he's thinking of starting roll done. Roll Done would be
24:59
Speaker 1: the only one that potentially could free up Taler Adams
25:02
Speaker 1: to get to get out of let's say his position.
25:06
Speaker 1: But you said it absolutely right about McKinney and bur
25:09
Speaker 1: Holter on the other side. If those are gonna be
25:12
Speaker 1: if that's going to be an eight position, not like
25:14
Speaker 1: a double six, if that's an eight position, obviously, I think,
25:18
Speaker 1: you know, I would have used the same exact word
25:20
Speaker 1: that you use, would just roam. You know, that's what
25:23
Speaker 1: he does, That's what McKenny likes to do. That's what
25:25
Speaker 1: he's good at. And you know we've said it on
25:27
Speaker 1: this show before, where you know, you know, McKinney is
25:31
Speaker 1: really good at coming from behind and getting into the box.
25:34
Speaker 1: And I think if he plays this deep, I just
25:36
Speaker 1: think he won't be able to do that. And that's
25:37
Speaker 1: one I believe one of his best qualities me too.
25:41
Speaker 2: That's like we're going to talk about the lineup after,
25:44
Speaker 2: but like that that role of like playing underneath the
25:47
Speaker 2: forward or like it more of like an eight and
25:48
Speaker 2: a half because he's not a true ten, because that's
25:50
Speaker 2: not how he plays, but he does so many things.
25:52
Speaker 2: Well you look at where you ventus have used him
25:54
Speaker 2: all over the pitch, even as a false nine, or
25:56
Speaker 2: I guess not even a false nine. It was just hey,
25:57
Speaker 2: you're really good in the air, why don't you try
25:59
Speaker 2: playing forward for us? He did that pretty well too,
26:01
Speaker 2: so I don't think. I don't think that there's anything
26:03
Speaker 2: on the field that he can't do. Maybe we'll toss
26:05
Speaker 2: some some gloves if the emergency comes attacking midfield, as
26:09
Speaker 2: Christian pool is, k Tim Waya, Malik Tilman. Giorana, we
26:11
Speaker 2: haven't talked about much yet. Brendan ronson alex In Dejas Rena. Again,
26:16
Speaker 2: he's looked pretty good for motion glidback, albeit coming off
26:19
Speaker 2: the bench over the last five league games to close
26:22
Speaker 2: out the Bunes League season. He can give you something
26:25
Speaker 2: special off the bench. Maybe he'll play more minutes. Who knows,
26:27
Speaker 2: but the idea or even the hypothetical ceiling. If Giorana
26:31
Speaker 2: can be some of the moments he showed leading into
26:34
Speaker 2: the twenty twenty two World Cup, that would be an
26:36
Speaker 2: absolute asset to this team.
26:39
Speaker 1: In particular because I think, you know, the first round games,
26:42
Speaker 1: although I think we're the favorites in probably most of
26:45
Speaker 1: the games, in particular I think Paraguay and Australia games.
26:50
Speaker 1: I think it's good to know that you know, gi
26:52
Speaker 1: Arena has been playing the last thirty minutes of games
26:55
Speaker 1: basically for the last five games, and that he can
26:57
Speaker 1: give you a solid He can give you a solid
26:59
Speaker 1: to thirty minutes and come in and potentially make plays
27:03
Speaker 1: that that are gonna win the game.
27:05
Speaker 2: Malik Tilman has not been discussed much. He He started
27:09
Speaker 2: the last Bundesliga game in the season for Levrakusen. Before
27:12
Speaker 2: that he completely lost his spot in the starting lineup.
27:15
Speaker 2: I know that they've been in a bit of turmoil.
27:17
Speaker 2: Leverkusen does not spend big money on players. They invested
27:20
Speaker 2: a large sum of what they got for Florian verts
27:23
Speaker 2: on Malie Tillman. It hasn't been a good season for
27:25
Speaker 2: him at the club level. I think that that makes
27:29
Speaker 2: it difficult to see him maybe necessarily as a starter.
27:31
Speaker 2: But like tab It's it's some to predict anything with
27:34
Speaker 2: his coaching staff. And maybe he starts the first game,
27:38
Speaker 2: the first friendly, maybe he plays well, or maybe he
27:40
Speaker 2: somebody else starts and they played poorly, and all of
27:42
Speaker 2: a sudden he's starting against Paraguay.
27:44
Speaker 3: I don't know.
27:45
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I think when you when you look
27:47
Speaker 1: at the roster and you look at the midfielders that
27:50
Speaker 1: we have, I think he'll get a chance, you know,
27:52
Speaker 1: in the in the friendlies, and if he gets that
27:54
Speaker 1: chance and he does well, I think, you know, we
27:57
Speaker 1: can forget about whatever happened at the club. There's no
27:59
Speaker 1: question that Tillman is a good player. He can make
28:02
Speaker 1: a difference for us. So hopefully, yeah, hopefully he gets
28:06
Speaker 1: it going in the friendly games and is a starter
28:09
Speaker 1: by World Cup time.
28:11
Speaker 2: Very happy for Brendan Ronson, who I interviewed him a
28:14
Speaker 2: couple of weeks ago and he said this was what
28:16
Speaker 2: he believed to be his best season ever, definitely the
28:18
Speaker 2: most rewarding season as well. It was he didn't have
28:22
Speaker 2: to come back to Leeds he did last year. The
28:24
Speaker 2: fans hated him, they were in the championship and he said,
28:26
Speaker 2: you know, I've unfinished business here. He came back, won
28:28
Speaker 2: the fans back over and leads very comfortably comfortably for
28:32
Speaker 2: them at least survived the drop and are saying in
28:34
Speaker 2: the Premier League. Large part Brendan Harson he played more
28:37
Speaker 2: games than anybody in the team. He played thirty seven
28:39
Speaker 2: or thirty eight. I believe, just what a season for him.
28:42
Speaker 2: Another great season for Alex in Dejas for Club America.
28:45
Speaker 2: Tap when you did your artificial roster projection, you Headzin
28:49
Speaker 2: de haas In. I tried to politely say, I don't
28:51
Speaker 2: think it's even really possible, but I'd like it, and
28:54
Speaker 2: you were right.
28:56
Speaker 1: Uh yeah, it's good to be right every once in
28:58
Speaker 1: a while. No, it just it just seemed like, you know,
29:04
Speaker 1: and I was thinking of Sindejas, you know, just like
29:08
Speaker 1: the other players in those positions, you know, they're good
29:11
Speaker 1: connectors in between lines. But I think Sin Davis is
29:14
Speaker 1: a little bit more special in the sense that he
29:17
Speaker 1: can find the goal and he can score goals, and
29:20
Speaker 1: I think there isn't another player like him in those positions. Uh,
29:23
Speaker 1: And so I think it's a It's a good selection
29:25
Speaker 1: and well deserved.
29:27
Speaker 3: I agree.
29:29
Speaker 2: With Pulisic left out of the starting lineup in a
29:32
Speaker 2: game AC Milan had to have to qualify for the
29:34
Speaker 2: Champions League, breaking news. They did not have the game
29:38
Speaker 2: and they missed out on Champions League, which is a
29:40
Speaker 2: disaster given that they already were not in Europe this year,
29:43
Speaker 2: they had the advantage of not having midweek games. They
29:46
Speaker 2: started off really strong and by the end of the
29:48
Speaker 2: season Pulls sicks Drought became so impactful that they didn't
29:51
Speaker 2: start him they didn't start rapidly out in that final
29:53
Speaker 2: game either, Santi him and as the Mexican striker started,
29:58
Speaker 2: he made history, becoming the first ever forward in Syria
30:03
Speaker 2: to start ten games at least ten games and not
30:05
Speaker 2: score goal. So tough end of the season for Poolsick.
30:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I was watching the game actually, and to
30:11
Speaker 1: be fair, Milan should have lost by a lot more
30:13
Speaker 1: goals than just two to one. You know, the you
30:17
Speaker 1: know goalkeeper was standing on his head to keep them
30:19
Speaker 1: in the game. It was not a good showing for Milan.
30:22
Speaker 1: They were in a bad decline the last two three
30:24
Speaker 1: months as a team. Let's forget you know, Polisics form
30:28
Speaker 1: as a team. They were just not in a good
30:30
Speaker 1: place and they were just dropping where you know, if
30:33
Speaker 1: the season kept going now, they would go into the
30:35
Speaker 1: middle and into the middle of the table because they're
30:38
Speaker 1: just they're just not I mean, they ended the season
30:40
Speaker 1: probably in the worst form they had all year.
30:42
Speaker 2: Christian Polsik twelve more months I left on his contract.
30:46
Speaker 2: We'll see what happens this summer after the World Cup.
30:48
Speaker 2: But center forwards Baligan, who's been in fantastic for him
30:51
Speaker 2: for Cardipappy scoring goals is always for PSV and how
30:54
Speaker 2: do you right who's going to the Premier League with
30:56
Speaker 2: Coventry City Balgin His goal scoring form is going to
31:00
Speaker 2: be I think extraordinarily important for this team at the
31:02
Speaker 2: World Cup. But I want to highlight recorder Pappy for
31:04
Speaker 2: a second. He was one of, if not the absolute
31:08
Speaker 2: last person cut from the last World Cup squad in
31:11
Speaker 2: twenty two.
31:12
Speaker 3: He makes it now for twenty six.
31:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, very happy for him because I remember
31:17
Speaker 1: after the twenty two World Cup saying that that's the
31:23
Speaker 1: one player that I was most disappointed for because I
31:26
Speaker 1: thought he deserved to go at the time. But of course,
31:29
Speaker 1: you know, like like I said before, there's likely always
31:32
Speaker 1: thirty thirty five players that deserve to go. Someone unfortunately
31:36
Speaker 1: gets caught in the end and it's really difficult because
31:38
Speaker 1: it sticks with you. But now he made this team,
31:41
Speaker 1: so he can forget about twenty two and I'm happy
31:44
Speaker 1: to see him go.
31:45
Speaker 2: Let's talk about a few big picture questions that come
31:47
Speaker 2: out when we have this roster. So let's have based
31:51
Speaker 2: on this group that has been called what does this
31:54
Speaker 2: tell you about Marisa Pochatino on the staff and kind
31:56
Speaker 2: of how they want to play going into the World Cup.
32:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I mean I think it'd be hard to
32:03
Speaker 1: not think, you know, when I started to I took
32:06
Speaker 1: the roster and I started to put lineups together, it's
32:09
Speaker 1: hard for me to number one, think how we're we
32:11
Speaker 1: wouldn't be playing with three center backs, right, So we're
32:14
Speaker 1: really pretty much looking at playing what I would call
32:20
Speaker 1: a five three two or if you wanted to call
32:25
Speaker 1: it a three four three. But the bottom line is
32:28
Speaker 1: we have to play with three center backs. And I
32:30
Speaker 1: think that's what's happening here. We have I think, regardless
32:34
Speaker 1: of what this election is, in terms of the outside backs,
32:37
Speaker 1: I think we have good ones on either side, and I.
32:40
Speaker 3: Think we different profiles too, which I really.
32:42
Speaker 1: Like, and we can really hurt teams with those guys.
32:45
Speaker 1: So really important that we play those three center backs.
32:47
Speaker 1: And I think that's what it showed. And then the
32:48
Speaker 1: other thing is that obviously he relies on Tyler Adams
32:52
Speaker 1: being the stay at home number six, likely by himself,
32:56
Speaker 1: and so having three center backs that covers the middle,
32:59
Speaker 1: having their atoms right in front of them, now you
33:02
Speaker 1: have four guys that are always covering the middle, and
33:05
Speaker 1: you're giving a little bit more on the outside but
33:07
Speaker 1: that's sort of that's sort of what it looks like
33:09
Speaker 1: at the moment. Obviously we can go through the rest
33:12
Speaker 1: of the lineup, but that's that's the first If I
33:14
Speaker 1: had my first impression of okay, you have the full
33:18
Speaker 1: this is the full selection. What are you seeing, I
33:21
Speaker 1: have to say that I'm seeing five across the back.
33:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so too.
33:25
Speaker 2: When I look at this roster, I think of there
33:28
Speaker 2: is a lot of unplanned things or you can try
33:30
Speaker 2: to plan by based on the profiles that you put
33:32
Speaker 2: in the roster. So what is the optionality and the
33:35
Speaker 2: versatility of Like, Okay, either we're chasing a game thirty
33:39
Speaker 2: minutes left to go, when we're playing a team like
33:40
Speaker 2: Paraguay or Australia that we're expected to have were possession,
33:44
Speaker 2: what do we do if it's a game against Turkey
33:47
Speaker 2: A or in the knockout rounds when maybe we're not
33:49
Speaker 2: going to have more than half of possession. Like when
33:52
Speaker 2: you look at the different profiles that we talked Abu
33:54
Speaker 2: already about at wing back, but as well as like
33:56
Speaker 2: the attacking midfielders and all the like, what are the
33:59
Speaker 2: different combinations that posteam you can go to in different scenarios.
34:03
Speaker 1: Well, that would have to say and let's just say
34:05
Speaker 1: what we let let's predict what's going to happen in
34:09
Speaker 1: the first game. First game, we're going into the last
34:12
Speaker 1: maybe twenty twenty five minutes, and now we're we're in
34:16
Speaker 1: a todd game and we need to win it. So
34:19
Speaker 1: you have the option of bringing Geo Rain out because
34:22
Speaker 1: we just talked about him being to connect lines, or
34:26
Speaker 1: you have the option whereas if you really have to
34:29
Speaker 1: win a game, you could potentially put Way out the
34:32
Speaker 1: right wing and play out of let's say like a
34:35
Speaker 1: like a three three four right, So you keep your
34:38
Speaker 1: three center backs at home, you keep three in the
34:40
Speaker 1: middles with let's say that's Adams mckinnee, and potentially either
34:45
Speaker 1: Tillman or you brought in raina right. So now you
34:48
Speaker 1: have you have five waiting and you have five attacking,
34:51
Speaker 1: and in the five attacking, you would put maybe rain
34:53
Speaker 1: a little bit behind. And then now you have you
34:56
Speaker 1: have the opportunity of having you know, Way on the right,
35:00
Speaker 1: have Peppy and Baaligan in the middle, and you can
35:02
Speaker 1: have Polisic on the left, or you can have Polisic
35:05
Speaker 1: come into the tent spot and put how'd you right
35:08
Speaker 1: on the left, So it gives you a lot of
35:09
Speaker 1: opportunity to get Bulls into the box and to have
35:12
Speaker 1: both Peppy and Bowligan in the game at the same time.
35:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, like we said it earlier, you can't plan for,
35:20
Speaker 2: you know, if who might pick up an injury or
35:22
Speaker 2: who might you know, get Yello card accumulation. Thankfully, yell
35:26
Speaker 2: card accumulation is a higher bromber. The cards wiped earlier easier,
35:30
Speaker 2: but still it's not that difficult to pick up a
35:31
Speaker 2: couple of yell cards in the group.
35:32
Speaker 3: Stage and at miss a game.
35:35
Speaker 2: But if Tyler Adams is not available for literally any minute,
35:40
Speaker 2: I don't like this team. I could probably have said
35:43
Speaker 2: that no matter who else was on the roster, like
35:45
Speaker 2: because of how good I think he is and how
35:46
Speaker 2: your placement I think is. Similar could be said for
35:49
Speaker 2: Richards and maybe Polistic and Bowigan, but there are just
35:51
Speaker 2: a lot of different attack options to attack. Like, it's
35:55
Speaker 2: difficult to kind of plan for Tyler Adams Chris Richards
35:58
Speaker 2: missing it literally even a minute.
36:01
Speaker 1: Right, And I think at this point there's really no
36:03
Speaker 1: need to plan for that because I think we have
36:05
Speaker 1: to go with our best guys and and you know,
36:07
Speaker 1: and play them the whole time. And that's really what
36:09
Speaker 1: the World Cup is about. We've you know, you and
36:11
Speaker 1: I have been saying this for a long time now.
36:13
Speaker 1: This is going to be you know, you know, fourteen
36:16
Speaker 1: fifteen sixteen players that will really lead us into wherever
36:20
Speaker 1: right and and so obviously Tyler Adams is a very
36:23
Speaker 1: important one at that and he and he will play
36:26
Speaker 1: a significant role before you go into the break. Who's
36:29
Speaker 1: going to be the captain of this team?
36:31
Speaker 3: Yeah, we know that that's a great question. No, we don't.
36:34
Speaker 2: Tyler Adams was the captain in twenty two. He has
36:36
Speaker 2: not won the armband one single time at MSA. Pochettino,
36:38
Speaker 2: I don't understand why I think that there is a leadership.
36:41
Speaker 2: You know that he's a leader. Poolsick is a leader,
36:44
Speaker 2: Richard's Anthony Robinson in his own ways, but like McKenney
36:47
Speaker 2: obviously part of that group.
36:49
Speaker 3: I want to see the armband on Tyler Adams.
36:52
Speaker 2: Tim Reim has worn it most under Pochatino's maybe he's
36:55
Speaker 2: gonna be that.
36:55
Speaker 3: Guy, But I don't know. For me, it's time. It's
36:57
Speaker 3: just weird to me that he hasn't won the arm band.
36:59
Speaker 3: What do you think that I agree with you.
37:01
Speaker 1: I think Adams is the guy because I think you
37:04
Speaker 1: want you want a personality with your captain, and not
37:07
Speaker 1: that Richards could couldn't do it. I think he can.
37:10
Speaker 1: But I think Adams is the right guy because you
37:13
Speaker 1: want guys following that attitude on the field.
37:16
Speaker 2: I couldn't agree more. So let's take that quick break.
37:19
Speaker 2: Next up, we're gonna give our projected starting elevens for
37:22
Speaker 2: the Senegal friendly. That's right, United States are playing in
37:24
Speaker 2: less than a week to kick off preparations for the
37:27
Speaker 2: World Cup with a friendly against Senegal. So thank you
37:29
Speaker 2: for listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review, and
37:31
Speaker 2: subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back to Inside
37:43
Speaker 2: American Soccer again. We've got the reported twenty six man
37:47
Speaker 2: roster for myself, Paulton Orio, as well as the guardians
37:50
Speaker 2: Pablo Mara, Jeff Ruter that we broke down and discussed.
37:53
Speaker 2: It's going to be officially unveiled on Tuesday and it
37:55
Speaker 2: will be locked in on June first, when the United
37:57
Speaker 2: States and all other countries submit their official final rosters
38:01
Speaker 2: to FIFA. Before June first, the United States has their
38:04
Speaker 2: first friendly before the World Cup. They were playing Senegal
38:06
Speaker 2: on Sunday at three thirty pm Eastern Time in Charlotte.
38:10
Speaker 2: Senegal are the reigning Afghan champions. I don't care if
38:14
Speaker 2: lawyers are trying to take it away and give it
38:15
Speaker 2: to Morocco.
38:16
Speaker 3: I know what I saw.
38:16
Speaker 2: Senegal lifted the trophy. Senegal still has the trophy. I
38:19
Speaker 2: believe that they gave it to their armed forces. It's
38:22
Speaker 2: pretty much like, yeah, come and take it if you
38:24
Speaker 2: want to try to take it. Senegal or the Afghan Champions,
38:26
Speaker 2: they are a very very good team for me. Tab
38:29
Speaker 2: I'm very curious what this lineup is going to be.
38:31
Speaker 2: Senegal obviously doesn't play like Paraguay or Australia or Turkey.
38:34
Speaker 2: All the teams are different, but there isn't a lot
38:36
Speaker 2: of overlap, particularly with Paraguay in that first game, well
38:40
Speaker 2: they play, the United States plays Germany and Chicago a
38:42
Speaker 2: few days later. There's no overlap with Germany to some
38:44
Speaker 2: of these teams either. So what I want to see
38:47
Speaker 2: and what I hope to see is Pochettino and his
38:49
Speaker 2: staff are going to put out what they believe to
38:51
Speaker 2: be who's going to start that first World Cup opening
38:54
Speaker 2: game against Paraguay. But tab you never really know if
38:56
Speaker 2: that's what's gonna happen because he changed a lineup every game.
39:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they're quite as you said, they're quite different,
39:03
Speaker 1: right if you if you look at uh at Senegal
39:05
Speaker 1: and what we're gonna find against Paraguay, because you know Senegal,
39:09
Speaker 1: let's not forget they have money, Nicholas Jackson, sur guy
39:14
Speaker 1: coming from behind. I mean, this is this is the
39:17
Speaker 1: ultimate like transition team, and and they can get you.
39:22
Speaker 1: They're a very good team, and I think we'll have
39:24
Speaker 1: a tough time defending. Of course, you know, as I
39:27
Speaker 1: put the lineup together, as we always say, we're let's
39:30
Speaker 1: try to figure out what Pochettino is gonna do, not
39:33
Speaker 1: what I'd like to do. Uh So I'll give it
39:35
Speaker 1: a shot. I'll give a shot at the lineup. I
39:37
Speaker 1: think we're gonna have three center backs in this game,
39:39
Speaker 1: and because of the injuries and maybe some guys not
39:43
Speaker 1: being one hundred percent, this is what I think we
39:46
Speaker 1: probably do the first game. I think I'm gonna say
39:49
Speaker 1: that he's gonna go with Freeman at the right center
39:52
Speaker 1: back spot, McKenzie in the center, uh and Reim on
39:57
Speaker 1: the left side. I think that's how he'll start the
40:00
Speaker 1: the Senegal game, and the reason for that is Richards
40:03
Speaker 1: will be coming off obviously he's been injured, but also
40:05
Speaker 1: coming off the final, so it's likely that he gets
40:08
Speaker 1: arrest the first game, so I don't think he'll play,
40:11
Speaker 1: but that's that's what I'm thinking. If Richards were to play,
40:14
Speaker 1: then Richards goes right into the middle, and I think
40:17
Speaker 1: McKenzie goes on that left side and then Reim would
40:19
Speaker 1: be out.
40:20
Speaker 2: So okay, interesting and I'm glad that you brought that up.
40:22
Speaker 2: I should have said that off the top again. Palace
40:25
Speaker 2: play ryle Vaikano on Wednesday May twenty seven in the
40:28
Speaker 2: Conference League final. This game is Sunday, the thirty first.
40:31
Speaker 2: Chris Richards is hoping to be able to play in
40:33
Speaker 2: that game with his injury, but against habit if he
40:37
Speaker 2: plays that game, you're right, maybe I'd be surprised. And
40:39
Speaker 2: obviously he's going to be in the lineup against Paraguay
40:41
Speaker 2: if he's available to play. So that's interesting. Can you
40:44
Speaker 2: freezing goal right? And then that trio in defense?
40:49
Speaker 3: So back three?
40:51
Speaker 2: Yeah?
40:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I forgot the goalkeeper as usual, Thank you,
40:55
Speaker 1: thank you for that. I think I agree that it
40:57
Speaker 1: will be a Freeze on the right side. I think
41:00
Speaker 1: he's gonna go with Weea yeah, although we have obviously
41:05
Speaker 1: Mane to deal on that side. To deal with on
41:07
Speaker 1: that side, I think having three center backs and having
41:10
Speaker 1: a little bit of help, hopefully we learn from the
41:13
Speaker 1: experience against doku Uh in the last window when we
41:16
Speaker 1: played Belgium. Mane at this point is not at the
41:20
Speaker 1: same level as Dokuiz right now, but nevertheless, obviously he's
41:24
Speaker 1: one of the great players U in the world and
41:27
Speaker 1: uh he'll be hard to deal with. But I think
41:29
Speaker 1: I think he'll go with Way on that side. I
41:31
Speaker 1: think he'll go with Robinson on the opposite side. In
41:34
Speaker 1: the middle of the field. I have to say that
41:38
Speaker 1: I and I know, I don't know if I'm hopeful,
41:40
Speaker 1: but I'm I'm thinking that he may do this. I'm
41:42
Speaker 1: gonna say that Adams will be the holding six, with
41:45
Speaker 1: McKinney and Tillman sort of switching that eight role. When
41:49
Speaker 1: one goes one stays yeah, and then up top it'll
41:53
Speaker 1: be Polisic in Balidan.
41:56
Speaker 2: I have a very similar team the freeze and goal.
41:59
Speaker 2: I would put McKenzie. Actually, reminding my own self about Richards. Yeah,
42:05
Speaker 2: McKenzie in the middle, Alex Freeman right center back, Tim
42:10
Speaker 2: Ream left center back. If this is a game that
42:12
Speaker 2: Richards was available to play, I would probably drop Freeman
42:15
Speaker 2: from the lineup, move McKenzie over to right center back
42:17
Speaker 2: with Richards in the middle, but anyway, Freeze h Freeman,
42:22
Speaker 2: mackenzie and Reim wing back. The midfield four I would
42:27
Speaker 2: go through Genio dest At right wing back, McKenny and
42:30
Speaker 2: Adams in the middle, Anthony Robinson on the left, and
42:34
Speaker 2: then the attacking trio would be Balgon up top with
42:38
Speaker 2: Polistic and Waya underneath.
42:41
Speaker 1: Oh very good. I mean I like that too. I
42:43
Speaker 1: like that because the way I gives you something a
42:47
Speaker 1: lot different than Tillman in that position. Way, it gives
42:50
Speaker 1: you the way I can get to the end line
42:53
Speaker 1: and can provide that speed on the counter that you
42:57
Speaker 1: know that Tillman doesn't really it's not his think, that's
42:59
Speaker 1: not what does and so and so. Yeah, that that
43:02
Speaker 1: that you know, that seems like it could be as well.
43:05
Speaker 1: And putting Desk as a starter obviously, I think he's
43:09
Speaker 1: ultimately he's our best right back. But I'm just trying
43:12
Speaker 1: to read what Pushatino is thinking and having played way
43:16
Speaker 1: up both games on the last window, I'm thinking maybe
43:18
Speaker 1: that's what he's thinking for for the World Cup. So
43:21
Speaker 1: but yeah, that could be as well.
43:24
Speaker 2: They like I do like the combo of of Weya
43:27
Speaker 2: and Desk because like you said, like Weya can get
43:29
Speaker 2: to the end line, like the verticality and the like
43:32
Speaker 2: intelligence of his off ball movement is good. But you
43:34
Speaker 2: have Desk who, like Anthony Robinson on the left, what
43:38
Speaker 2: he's great at is endline to endline, overlapping. He stays
43:41
Speaker 2: in that kind of widest channel. Desk is very creative.
43:43
Speaker 2: He can pinge in, so when you have Weya can
43:46
Speaker 2: naturally stay wide, whereas, like on the left, you have
43:49
Speaker 2: Pulisic who obviously you want him to cut in. You
43:51
Speaker 2: want him to have the whole field in front of him.
43:54
Speaker 2: And then that that lends really nicely when it's Anthony
43:56
Speaker 2: Robinson and him, because Anthony Robinson fills that widest channel,
43:59
Speaker 2: whereas on the right it could be a situation where
44:01
Speaker 2: Desk pinches in to the half space, whereas Weya is
44:04
Speaker 2: the one saying whyest and giving the verticalty. So I
44:06
Speaker 2: think there are a lot of options, Like I wouldn't
44:08
Speaker 2: be surprised in any way. If if Molie Tillman starts,
44:13
Speaker 2: don't even listen, let me say this, I wouldn't be
44:15
Speaker 2: surprised at pretty much anybody on the twenty six manut
44:18
Speaker 2: ross of starts. If maybe he says, you know what,
44:20
Speaker 2: I'd rather this be the game where I give Turner
44:23
Speaker 2: a game and goal, and Miles Robinson, let's see how
44:26
Speaker 2: fit you are us and Trusty would you like going
44:28
Speaker 2: out rolled On and Burrow to like? I hope that
44:30
Speaker 2: it's the first choice eleven, but maybe he'll save that
44:33
Speaker 2: for Germany. I honestly don't know. I would like to
44:35
Speaker 2: see both. I think that these players are out a
44:37
Speaker 2: stage where they can play a good amount of minutes.
44:39
Speaker 2: Maybe not all the starters going under and eighty minutes,
44:41
Speaker 2: but I think it's me for me more valuable to
44:44
Speaker 2: see some of these guys, and particularly the combinations they're in.
44:47
Speaker 3: But tab who knows.
44:48
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I to be fair, I like your lineup
44:51
Speaker 1: better for the Paraguay game because I think death is
44:55
Speaker 1: extremely unpredictable. I mean, he doesn't know what he's doing next.
45:00
Speaker 1: That's a sign and by the way, that's a sign
45:01
Speaker 1: of good players. That's what they do. The creative players,
45:04
Speaker 1: they don't know what they're doing next, so you can't
45:06
Speaker 1: coach that. But because of that, I think that Desk
45:10
Speaker 1: can create his own plays and his own danger like
45:12
Speaker 1: on his own, whereas Weea is more of a team player.
45:15
Speaker 1: He's gonna be making the run that you see and
45:18
Speaker 1: you're gonna get them the ball right behind, or he's
45:20
Speaker 1: gonna be taking somebody on one v one down the
45:23
Speaker 1: line and getting across in a lot more predictable. Desk,
45:26
Speaker 1: you just don't know. He could cut inside and shoot,
45:29
Speaker 1: he can go into midfield and help, or he can
45:31
Speaker 1: stay wide and dribble. So I think Dess would be
45:34
Speaker 1: uh would be a you know, a great option for
45:36
Speaker 1: the Paraguay game.
45:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, always looking forward to it. Listen, we've been since
45:41
Speaker 2: our very first episode.
45:43
Speaker 3: Tap.
45:43
Speaker 2: This is the time that we've been talking about. When
45:45
Speaker 2: the roster comes out and the camp commences ahead of
45:48
Speaker 2: the World Cup. This is historic times. This is what
45:52
Speaker 2: kids will be growing up talking about the twenty twenty
45:54
Speaker 2: six World Cup and how special it was. Maybe they'll
45:56
Speaker 2: be talking about their memories from this tournament. Some of
45:58
Speaker 2: these players are going to become heroes and be looking
46:00
Speaker 2: up for the next generation. I can't wait. We are
46:03
Speaker 2: here tab finally listen. Thank you for listening to Inside
46:06
Speaker 2: American Soccer. Please rate, review, subscribe wherever gets your podcast.
46:09
Speaker 2: We'll be back on Sunday, sometime around then Sunday or
46:13
Speaker 2: Monday with a reaction show after the Senegal match.
46:17
Speaker 3: Games are here, Trainees coming.
46:18
Speaker 2: Maybe we'll see if there's any surprises from this roster
46:21
Speaker 2: reveal on Tuesday night, but if not, we'll talk to
46:23
Speaker 2: you all again.
46:23
Speaker 3: Very basic,