Latest / Friends on Football / Ep. 31 - USMNT Players Vibes Check, Dybala Firing at Roma, Carabao Cup Updates and Premier League Weekend Preview

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Ep. 31 - USMNT Players Vibes Check, Dybala Firing at Roma, Carabao Cup Updates and Premier League Weekend Preview · Friends on Football

0:22
SPEAKER_01: Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode of the Friendsland Football Podcast.
0:26
SPEAKER_01: I'm one of your co-hosts, Brandon Johnson, and joined with me as always is my main man, Mr.
0:30
SPEAKER_01: Sean Boyle.
0:31
SPEAKER_01: Sean, how are we feeling tonight?
0:33
SPEAKER_00: Brandon, feeling good.
0:35
SPEAKER_00: Excited for one of these midweek shows.
0:37
SPEAKER_00: We had a nice little recap episode on Sunday that came out Monday.
0:40
SPEAKER_00: I thought that was fun.
0:41
SPEAKER_00: We've had a few more moments to kind of debrief.
0:44
SPEAKER_00: We've got continuous games going on, so there's still a lot to talk about.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to do it with you.
0:49
SPEAKER_00: How are you doing?
0:50
SPEAKER_01: I'm doing well, Sean.
0:51
SPEAKER_01: I'm doing well.
0:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, this one will be this one will be a little fun.
0:54
SPEAKER_01: It'll be a little bit different because we got a few different things we want to hit on.
0:58
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, it it's gonna be a little bit of US men's national team, a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
1:03
SPEAKER_01: Uh so I'm excited to do this with you, Sean.
1:06
SPEAKER_01: Let's just let's just dive right in.
1:08
SPEAKER_01: Starting off our US men's national team, we covered the World Cup, Sean.
1:13
SPEAKER_01: It was not our best moment, but not our worst moment.
1:16
SPEAKER_01: Uh, but now we have some new US fans, new soccer fans, and a lot of them want to know where are our guys playing?
1:24
SPEAKER_01: What league is what league do they play in?
1:26
SPEAKER_01: What team do they play on?
1:27
SPEAKER_01: How is this different than playing for USA?
1:30
SPEAKER_01: So, Sean, maybe we'll just break down a few guys where they're playing and and sort of what we expect to see out of them this season, because it's interesting.
1:38
SPEAKER_01: On the national team, their roles may not match what their club team role is.
1:42
SPEAKER_01: So if we want, let's just dive in on a few guys and have a little chat about that.
1:49
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I like that the structure of these midweek episodes allows us to be kind of loose and flexible.
1:53
SPEAKER_00: We could talk about news if there's breaking news, we could talk about midweek games, or on a week like this, where we're kind of just in the first early rounds of the Care About Cup in England or the Copa del Rey in Spain, I think it's good to give an update, a status update on these US MNT guys.
2:09
SPEAKER_00: So we'll start with none other than Captain America, Brandon.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: There's no better place to start than the man who shriveled, I would say, in the World Cup.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: It could have been due to injury.
2:20
SPEAKER_00: That did come out after the fact, as we knew would happen.
2:23
SPEAKER_00: Well, Christian Pulisic is still at AC Milan this season, under a new manager, Ruben Amarim, who comes from Manchester United.
2:30
SPEAKER_00: So he was relieved of his duties last season at Manchester United.
2:34
SPEAKER_00: It did not go well.
2:35
SPEAKER_00: He takes over at Milan, and so far Christian Pulisic has not been able to feature at all, really, in the preseason or in their first game due to that injury from the World Cup.
2:44
SPEAKER_00: The good news is he has regained his fitness and he's hoping to feature on Friday against Venezia.
2:52
SPEAKER_00: So in the second game of Milan's season, Pulisik might be making his season debut, probably off the bench.
2:58
SPEAKER_00: That's the good news.
2:59
SPEAKER_00: The other bit of good news is I really think the style that Ruben Amram plays at AC Milan is going to be beneficial to Christian Pulisic.
3:06
SPEAKER_00: He plays three at the back, but that also leads to two number tens up front, similar to what we're seeing Jabby Alonzo deploy at Chelsea this season.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: And I think Christian Pulisic operating in that left half space is going to be absolutely killer because that's where he is at his best.
3:21
SPEAKER_00: So hopefully for Christian Pulisik this season, we're able to just stay healthy and once again reassert yourself as one of the best players in Serie A.
3:30
SPEAKER_00: I know that might be lofty expectations, but when you are the best player the United States has had, you need to start living up to them on a regular basis.
3:39
SPEAKER_00: I just feel like we haven't seen that from Pulisic consistently.
3:42
SPEAKER_00: I'm hoping this season, under a manager that should fit his style, will be the start of that resurgence and he carries it forward.
3:50
SPEAKER_00: Brandon, do you think that's achievable?
3:52
SPEAKER_01: I do, Sean.
3:53
SPEAKER_01: Sean, I feel like we've seen bits and pieces from him in moments where he looks like, like you said, one of the best players in the whole Italian league.
4:01
SPEAKER_01: And you hope he can put that together for a full season.
4:03
SPEAKER_01: I think health is number one.
4:05
SPEAKER_01: If he can stay healthy and he can be on the field, obviously that's the only way he's gonna be able to perform.
4:11
SPEAKER_01: But the quality is there, Sean.
4:13
SPEAKER_01: We've seen the quality.
4:14
SPEAKER_01: We just need to see it over a full calendar season.
4:18
SPEAKER_01: Italy definitely a physical league.
4:21
SPEAKER_01: So he's gonna get tackled, he's gonna get fouled, but nothing I don't think he can handle.
4:25
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, I I do think this campaign, especially coming off a World Cup where he'll feel he'll feel like he didn't perform his best.
4:32
SPEAKER_01: Uh, it's gonna be really a big chance for him to turn that around and get back on track.
4:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so hopefully the updates we do provide about Christian Pulisic are promising and full of good news.
4:43
SPEAKER_00: I think they will be.
4:44
SPEAKER_00: I think he's gonna have a strong year.
4:46
SPEAKER_00: It's not a lock that he walks right back into his starting role in this team because it's never timely to miss a chunk right before the season starts.
4:55
SPEAKER_00: It's an awkward time under a new manager.
4:57
SPEAKER_00: But I do think, just based on what I've seen from Pulisic and their current available attacking options, he will prove himself to be one of Milan's best attacking players.
5:06
SPEAKER_00: And I think, like I said, the role in which he'll be asked to play should suit him well.
5:10
SPEAKER_00: So I'm optimistic about a good season for Pulisic.
5:13
SPEAKER_00: Also in Milan, though, Brandon, this guy was not on the World Cup roster.
5:18
SPEAKER_00: Probably a mistake in hindsight.
5:19
SPEAKER_00: You know, hindsight's 2020.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: But Yunus Musa was a 19-year-old on the previous World Cup team, and he was a strong performer.
5:28
SPEAKER_00: He was one of our better players that World Cup.
5:31
SPEAKER_00: In hindsight, it seems like, yeah, maybe we should have brought in a 23-year-old midfielder, even though he was struggling mightily at his club at the time.
5:39
SPEAKER_00: He proved for the U.S.
5:40
SPEAKER_00: to be a good player in the exact situation where we needed good players at a position that we were pretty thin at.
5:46
SPEAKER_00: So, Musa will probably feel a bit hard done by that he didn't make the World Cup team.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: His future at club level was kind of all out of whack.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: He's been on loan, he looked likely to leave AC Milan.
5:56
SPEAKER_00: That was until Ruben Amarim took over, and all signs point to him loving Eunice Musa.
6:02
SPEAKER_00: Yunus has reintegrated himself in the first team.
6:04
SPEAKER_00: He's had a strong preseason, he played a full 90 minutes in their season opening win.
6:09
SPEAKER_00: I think this is all encouraging, and I think the role he's being asked to play under Amarim is a role that's perfect for him.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: Hey, Eunice, just go out there and be an engine, cover a lot of ground, bring energy, and you know what?
6:20
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna have a place in the team.
6:22
SPEAKER_00: I think that's really encouraging stuff for the United States.
6:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you definitely want to see that from Moose.
6:28
SPEAKER_01: I feel like he, like you said, because he had such a weird club situation previously, we kind of forgot about him at when it was time for the World Cup.
6:37
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, he he definitely would have helped our team out.
6:39
SPEAKER_01: I'm sure you would have taken him over, Christian Raldan, your your guy.
6:43
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I'm excited to see him play because he's still so young.
6:48
SPEAKER_01: I being 23 and playing in Italy, uh it's it's should it should lead to a lot of good experience for him and a lot of good minutes, but it's unfortunate he didn't make the World Cup.
6:58
SPEAKER_01: But I think, like you said, Sean, he'll feel hard done by and he'll want to prove himself so that this doesn't happen again for him in four years.
7:05
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if he makes the team in four years, maybe, maybe not.
7:09
SPEAKER_01: I don't know how Pacetino feels about him, but it'll be key for him to get off uh this club season on a good start.
7:17
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
7:17
SPEAKER_00: And I'm encouraged that he's at least in the picture again.
7:20
SPEAKER_00: It's nice that he's seeming to find some stable ground and an area in which he could prove himself.
7:25
SPEAKER_00: So good news on the Yunus Musa front.
7:27
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna keep it in Italy, Brandon, and we have to just mention before leaving Syria our stalwart at Juventus.
7:35
SPEAKER_00: It is Weston McKenney.
7:36
SPEAKER_00: This guy has become just a fixture in the Juventus squad.
7:39
SPEAKER_00: He's been there for years now.
7:41
SPEAKER_00: He's been under, I believe, six different managers in his time at Juventus, and he has started off on the outskirts of each of those managers' plans and then eventually wormed his way right into being a mainstay in the team.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: That's kind of what Wes does.
7:55
SPEAKER_00: He's willing to prove it under a new coach.
7:57
SPEAKER_00: He just kind of puts his head down, head down and goes to work.
7:59
SPEAKER_00: I love seeing that.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: He started and played the whole match in Juventus' opening match this season.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: I think we know what we're expecting from Wes on a yearly basis now at this point.
8:10
SPEAKER_00: He's able to cover a lot of positions, he gives a good performance each time out.
8:13
SPEAKER_00: I just want to see him, if possible, take that game to a new level.
8:17
SPEAKER_00: And I know that's asking a lot.
8:18
SPEAKER_00: He's in his late 20s now.
8:20
SPEAKER_00: Usually guys don't evolve too much at that point in their career.
8:24
SPEAKER_00: But you could reinvent yourself just a little bit.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: And I think Wes has the chance to go from this guy at Juventus who the fans have always appreciated and kind of golf clapped for.
8:34
SPEAKER_00: You know, he does a job, but he's not our first choice at any position.
8:37
SPEAKER_00: He's just kind of always around.
8:39
SPEAKER_00: I think he has a chance to go from that to being a club legend with a couple more really good seasons if he elevates his performance just a bit.
8:46
SPEAKER_00: And I I know it's hard to do when he doesn't have a nailed-on position each week, and he's constantly just kind of filling gaps and stuff, but it seems like there's a little bit of room for growth here at Juventus.
8:56
SPEAKER_00: He's at such a big club.
8:57
SPEAKER_00: Juventus haven't been at their best.
8:59
SPEAKER_00: I hope that Weston McKenny's part of fixing the problems that have gone on at Juve.
9:04
SPEAKER_00: And it seems like a storybook ending for him would have a few seasons where he really emerges as their guy.
9:09
SPEAKER_01: Would love to see that, Sean.
9:11
SPEAKER_01: I unfortunately don't know if that's gonna happen.
9:14
SPEAKER_01: I do think he probably needs a better reception and better reaction from the fans.
9:20
SPEAKER_01: I do think, even at this point, I don't know if I'd use the word legend, but he's definitely somebody who's really established themselves, like you like you had mentioned.
9:27
SPEAKER_01: I just feel that he's not great in one singular category or one singular position to make it his, to the point where the front office, the ownership says, Hey, we have our number eight or whatever position they want to put him at.
9:43
SPEAKER_01: Let's not sign anybody, let's not develop anybody.
9:46
SPEAKER_01: This is our guy.
9:47
SPEAKER_01: It's almost like he's that utility infielder in in baseball, where it's like you can throw him out there on any night, you know exactly what you're gonna get, but he might play second base, he might play right field, he might catch.
9:58
SPEAKER_01: So you you you take and pick and choose what you can get from him, but yeah, it I think to stay at a club this long under so many different managers does show his loyalty and his appreciation for the club and the opportunity that Juventus has given him over these years, and so that has to be respected.
10:14
SPEAKER_01: Uh, unfortunately, I just I I know he's getting older, like you said.
10:17
SPEAKER_01: Can he reinvent himself?
10:18
SPEAKER_01: Maybe I'm I'm not too sure.
10:20
SPEAKER_01: I I do think he may just be a career uh utility player, if you will.
10:25
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we don't see that very often, so it's kind of weird.
10:29
SPEAKER_01: We don't really have a total category for that, Sean.
10:32
SPEAKER_01: But it it's cool.
10:33
SPEAKER_01: It's cool that he can basically put himself almost in the team in probably seven, maybe different positions on any given week.
10:42
SPEAKER_01: So it's it's great to see, and you're happy for Wes, but I don't see that changing long term.
10:49
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I don't either.
10:50
SPEAKER_00: It's more of a hopeful that would be nice to see, you know, because other than us expecting good performances from Wes, I'm not sure what other level he could get to at Juventus.
11:00
SPEAKER_00: It's just kind of more of the same from him, and it's all good.
11:02
SPEAKER_00: It's at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
11:04
SPEAKER_00: He's one of the best United States players ever already at this point in his career.
11:08
SPEAKER_00: I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of.
11:10
SPEAKER_00: I just I don't want this to get stale and become a bit of a forgotten four years leading up to the next World Cup.
11:17
SPEAKER_00: I want a little bit of something from Wes.
11:19
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it does require him moving clubs for that to happen.
11:22
SPEAKER_00: But I think for right now, I'm not pressing any panic buttons or anything.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: There's some other guys we're gonna get to in just a minute that have much more urgent situations to attend to.
11:32
SPEAKER_00: But I just want something different for Wes this year.
11:35
SPEAKER_00: I don't want just constant.
11:36
SPEAKER_00: I I love the utility man comparison.
11:39
SPEAKER_00: If you're a Phillies fan, it's like Edmundo Sosa, Edmundo McKenney.
11:42
SPEAKER_00: He's just plug and play, he'll get a spotty hit, he'll play second, he'll play third, he's got an outfielder's glove, whatever you need.
11:50
SPEAKER_01: Now, Sean, let me pose a question to you.
11:53
SPEAKER_01: And maybe this is to to keep the baseball references out of left field a little bit, but West McKenney MLS DP contract, maybe he goes home to Dallas, he becomes their guy, center midfielder, and holds it down for the next four years before the next World Cup.
12:11
SPEAKER_01: Is that could you see that happening?
12:13
SPEAKER_01: Do you does it make sense for something like that to happen for him?
12:17
SPEAKER_00: I I'm gonna say not yet.
12:19
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
12:19
SPEAKER_00: I I will I want Wes to play in the MLS eventually.
12:23
SPEAKER_00: I still think he's got a couple years.
12:24
SPEAKER_00: If you're gonna start at Juventus, you'd you start at Juventus before we start.
12:28
SPEAKER_00: But I do think we're not far off because starting at a bunch of different positions at Juventus under kind of meddling teams or underachieving teams is not super exciting.
12:39
SPEAKER_00: So I do think there would be a buzz if Wes came to the MLS still in his prime and chose to take over one of those clubs.
12:46
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it is a Dallas.
12:47
SPEAKER_00: I might attach myself strongly to whatever club Wes ends up at.
12:51
SPEAKER_00: But I just think it's a little bit early in his career for that yet.
12:54
SPEAKER_00: Not that MLS is retirement league, but Wes has a long time to go before that.
12:58
SPEAKER_00: So maybe when he turns 30.
13:01
SPEAKER_01: Okay, fair enough, fair enough.
13:03
SPEAKER_00: Now, Brandon, we have to talk about a former teammate of Weson McKenney.
13:07
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna talk Tim Weia.
13:08
SPEAKER_00: Good news on the Tim Weia front.
13:10
SPEAKER_00: He was given the captain's armband at Marseille.
13:13
SPEAKER_00: So new manager Bruno Genesio comes in and he says, you know what?
13:17
SPEAKER_00: I'm putting the armband around one of our permanent transfers this summer.
13:21
SPEAKER_00: It was finalized, his move there.
13:23
SPEAKER_00: Tim Weia gets it.
13:24
SPEAKER_00: He starts at right back, that's where he kind of plays at Marseille.
13:27
SPEAKER_00: So it is a bit of a different role than what he's used to playing in the US picture.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: But I do think the role has some similarities to the role Serginho Des played for Mauricio Pachettino.
13:38
SPEAKER_00: And I think Tim Weia could offer even a bit more than Serginho at times defensively at this point.
13:43
SPEAKER_00: Wea started out playing sort of all different positions, kind of similar to McKenny.
13:48
SPEAKER_00: And I think as he's aging, I think right back might suit him pretty well, especially a right wing back role.
13:53
SPEAKER_00: So good news, it's nice to see one of the your guys in the U.S.
13:58
SPEAKER_00: picture become a club captain in Europe.
14:00
SPEAKER_00: That's exciting.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: On a top five league as well.
14:03
SPEAKER_01: It's not like he's playing at some random club.
14:06
SPEAKER_01: Marseille is a legit team.
14:07
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, that that's great to see for Timmy.
14:10
SPEAKER_00: Now, it could be one of the reasons he might have been given the armband.
14:12
SPEAKER_00: Marseille has a lot of players for sale, including about four of the other big names in that starting 11 alongside of Tim Leah.
14:19
SPEAKER_00: Those guys might have been captain's choices as well if they weren't on the open market.
14:23
SPEAKER_00: Pierre Hoybier, he's he's in the mix there.
14:25
SPEAKER_00: Uh Pai Shao on the wing, he's moving probably to Sunderland.
14:29
SPEAKER_00: So maybe it was just, hey, you know what?
14:31
SPEAKER_00: Tim's gonna be here this season.
14:33
SPEAKER_00: But overall, we're not gonna put an asterisk on it.
14:36
SPEAKER_00: That's good news.
14:37
SPEAKER_00: In that match against Tim Leia on the opening match of the season, Strasbourg lost 4-0 Brandon, and we have to talk about the first man off the bench for Strasbourg.
14:45
SPEAKER_00: It was Gio Reina.
14:47
SPEAKER_00: So Tim Leah gets the better of Gio Reina.
14:51
SPEAKER_00: I don't have much expectation for Giorena this year, but let me just say my hope, all I ask is just have a normal season and start some games.
15:01
SPEAKER_00: How about that?
15:02
SPEAKER_00: A normal season without injury, and you start a bunch of games.
15:06
SPEAKER_00: Is that too much to ask?
15:08
SPEAKER_01: It's not too much to ask, Sean.
15:09
SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately, the last few years it has been too much to ask.
15:13
SPEAKER_01: He's the one guy who I wasn't super high on him at the World Cup.
15:17
SPEAKER_01: I'll fully admit that.
15:18
SPEAKER_01: He does score the goal in the first game, and everyone's like, oh, this is our guy, he's back.
15:23
SPEAKER_01: Didn't do a whole lot after that, the World Cup, but he's somebody who's still young.
15:27
SPEAKER_01: Like he still has legs, he still has a lot of time, but he has to be playing every week.
15:32
SPEAKER_01: And maybe Strasbourg off the bench is is where it starts, but he needs to prove himself and get himself into a starting lineup because he's too talented to be on somebody's bench.
15:42
SPEAKER_01: I'm sorry.
15:43
SPEAKER_00: I I do I do agree.
15:44
SPEAKER_00: He's one I could see.
15:46
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you know what?
15:47
SPEAKER_00: If it doesn't work out in Strasbourg, get your ass back to MLS.
15:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
15:50
SPEAKER_00: That's an order.
15:52
SPEAKER_00: Okay, that's an order, Gio.
15:54
SPEAKER_01: And I think and I think Sean, the MLS, I apologize, it's a little bit of a tangent, but the MLS does have that retirement league moniker attached to it, but it's really been shifting the opposite way.
16:06
SPEAKER_01: Where they're going younger, teams are getting more and more of their academy guys and actually shipping them to these top five clubs in Europe.
16:13
SPEAKER_01: We saw it with uh your guy, Gozo, Lucas Harrington, who is on uh Colorado Rapids on Whole City now.
16:20
SPEAKER_01: Like the there's more and more guys making that transfer.
16:23
SPEAKER_01: Of course, we do see the older guys coming home, coming coming back.
16:26
SPEAKER_01: I'm sorry, Robert Lewandowski and so and so forth.
16:29
SPEAKER_01: But there is a lot of talent in this league, and I think the league is continuing to grow.
16:33
SPEAKER_01: And as long as the Apple contracts, the Jersey contracts, all these, all the money keeps coming into the league.
16:39
SPEAKER_01: I think it's only going to get better.
16:41
SPEAKER_01: And maybe you do need to get a Geo Arena and sign him to not a messy level deal, but a ridiculous deal to say, hey, we're bringing our guys back.
16:49
SPEAKER_01: He's gonna start every week, he's gonna play 90 minutes every week, he's gonna sell the most jerseys on our team, and this is kind of our guy, and build around him.
16:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, maybe he does have that appeal.
16:59
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I would say probably Christian and Weston have it a little bit higher.
17:03
SPEAKER_01: But from a skill perspective, I don't think that's a terrible fit for Geo.
17:07
SPEAKER_01: He'll probably feel like it's a step down, and and understandably, but you also get to play 90 minutes every week.
17:14
SPEAKER_01: You probably become the captain of your team fairly quickly, and you're now looked at as the leader to lead these 17 and 18-year-olds that come on come onto the squad rather than oh, we got this Reyna guy, let's just throw him in for 20 minutes at the end of the game.
17:28
SPEAKER_01: Maybe he gets us a goal, maybe not.
17:30
SPEAKER_01: You become sort of that focal point of the team.
17:32
SPEAKER_01: So it's an interesting thought.
17:34
SPEAKER_01: But I think I I I do agree with you.
17:35
SPEAKER_01: I think Reyna would be even an even better MLS fit right now than Weston McKinney.
17:40
SPEAKER_00: It's certainly a good backup plan to have because at a certain point, if it doesn't work out at Strasbourg, he does need to hit the drawing board again.
17:47
SPEAKER_00: And I think the MLS would just be a logical choice.
17:50
SPEAKER_00: It's at least at home where, like you said, the league's style should suit him.
17:55
SPEAKER_00: It's not the most physical back and forth league.
17:59
SPEAKER_00: The wear and tear, and I will say they're stacking up games in this in the MLS now.
18:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the travel is insane.
18:04
SPEAKER_00: The travel is brutal.
18:05
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so from the demands on it physically from that perspective are there, but the pace of the game isn't necessarily the same level as Europe.
18:13
SPEAKER_00: So I think maybe that would be our next step, Gio, if it doesn't work out here.
18:18
SPEAKER_00: But I'm I'm optimistic.
18:19
SPEAKER_00: I think we're gonna actually get a normal Giovanni Reina season.
18:22
SPEAKER_00: I don't remember what it looks like, but I think we're gonna see it here.
18:25
SPEAKER_00: No injuries, play, have some good games, have some games where you can get better, but just become a normal footballer again and hope that one day we we have a late career resurgence with Geo.
18:37
SPEAKER_00: Let's move on, Brandon, to the PSV boys.
18:39
SPEAKER_00: We've got two playing a PSV Eindhoven, and I think my takeaway, after seeing some clips and a little bit of their games, I don't think they should be playing at PSV Eindhoven much longer.
18:50
SPEAKER_00: I feel like we've got a situation where they're clearly two of the best players in this league, and I kind of want them to try their odds somewhere else.
18:57
SPEAKER_00: So of course I'm talking about Serginho Dest and Riccardo Pepe.
19:00
SPEAKER_00: Dest was suspended for the first game.
19:02
SPEAKER_00: I believe he had a red card last season that carried over.
19:05
SPEAKER_00: But in the two games that they've played since, and they both they won both, he has been scoring, assisting, best player, both matches.
19:14
SPEAKER_00: He's just a cut above quality-wise.
19:16
SPEAKER_00: His thing is kind of just staying healthy.
19:18
SPEAKER_00: It's kind of like Geo Reina, except without the circus, the sideshow that Geo comes along with.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: You know, Serginho doesn't have that.
19:26
SPEAKER_00: But I do think there's a level in between a major jump for Serginho and a little bit of a jump where we can challenge and get better instead of PSV.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: And I think the same thing's true for Pepe.
19:38
SPEAKER_00: He's got two goals through three games.
19:40
SPEAKER_00: He was linked with a move to the Premier League in Fulham last January.
19:43
SPEAKER_00: That fell through, but now I'm kind of sitting here scratching my head as this season starts again, thinking, so we're just signing up for another year in the Air Divisi.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: It just feels like both these guys, I don't want to get greedy and have a failed move happen, but it seems like we should be looking as USMNT fans at them in maybe a different situation, a more challenging situation, sooner rather than later.
20:05
SPEAKER_01: Do you have any thoughts on a good landing spot for these guys?
20:12
SPEAKER_01: Maybe not club, but but even if you had just level or uh league.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: I think that Sergio Death should be in either La Liga or Syria.
20:21
SPEAKER_00: I would I think his style would fit there.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: If he could find a role as a right wing back in a back three where he is not burdened with as much defensive responsibility, I think that would be perfect for him.
20:33
SPEAKER_00: For Pepe, I'm kind of open.
20:35
SPEAKER_00: I just want him to be in a good side.
20:37
SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't want him to be in a top, he's not going to be in a top six Premier League club, but I want him to be, you always want your strikers to be in situations where they're given a lot of opportunities to score goals.
20:48
SPEAKER_00: Because that's the one position where if you're not getting any balls at your feet or any service, it's hard to do it yourself.
20:55
SPEAKER_00: So I want Pepe to keep that element of PSV, because they offer that in spade.
21:00
SPEAKER_00: So the best team in the league, they're gonna get balls to him.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: He's going to score goals.
21:04
SPEAKER_00: I would like him to be at one of those more ball-dominant sides, just at a higher level in a more competitive league, because essentially there's 10 to 12 games for PSV each year where they're kind of gonna run the game in second or third gear.
21:19
SPEAKER_00: And I just don't think how much are you growing in that environment, you know?
21:23
SPEAKER_00: That's true.
21:23
SPEAKER_01: And now, are they playing Peppy more as a nine or as a winger?
21:28
SPEAKER_01: I'm assuming as a nine.
21:29
SPEAKER_00: He's playing as a nine, yeah.
21:31
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
21:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it it's a good I it's weird because you want to see him do well, but at the same time, you don't want him to get lazy and almost stagnant with his career because he is another guy where four years from now, we still don't besides Balogun.
21:49
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if we have another guy.
21:51
SPEAKER_01: There's probably some guys in the pool, and maybe we'll talk about a couple of them here, but at that number nine position, it's not our strongest besides Balogun.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: So maybe he solidifies himself as that number two.
22:03
SPEAKER_01: Which he sort of was in the World Cup, but but but not really.
22:08
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, uh I'm interested to see how that ends up for Peppy.
22:13
SPEAKER_01: Maybe he goes in in January.
22:16
SPEAKER_01: Maybe they let him play for a few months and then the January window opens and somebody comes calling who needs a striker after the first few months with with injuries or other players, you know, Ollie Watkins just just picking up and leaving, wanting to leave the club.
22:29
SPEAKER_01: Maybe we'll see one of that that happen for somebody else, and they'll they'll come and need a number nine, and maybe that's when he gets scooped up.
22:34
SPEAKER_01: But would love to see him start the season hot and stay hot like this.
22:38
SPEAKER_01: And then maybe uh January something comes up and he can he can make a move.
22:42
SPEAKER_00: And there might be an argument to be made that people think this is the appropriate level for both of them.
22:46
SPEAKER_00: And I don't think this is like an emergency, like sound the alarm bells, get them out of town immediately.
22:51
SPEAKER_00: I don't think it's that by any means.
22:52
SPEAKER_00: PSV are great at developing players.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: It just seems like these guys are towards the older end of their development plans.
22:59
SPEAKER_00: Like they've been at PSV, they've they've done a lot of their developing already, and now it seems like it's close to time for that next step.
23:06
SPEAKER_00: I agree, maybe it is in January, maybe it is next year, after yet another really good year and hopefully a league title.
23:12
SPEAKER_00: That would be acceptable as well.
23:14
SPEAKER_00: I just want to monitor that situation.
23:16
SPEAKER_00: There is a more pressing matter, Brandon, and that is the Florent Balogun case.
23:20
SPEAKER_00: I don't know where he's gonna play his football this season.
23:23
SPEAKER_00: He is widely available for a transfer fee, somewhere in the range of 40 million.
23:28
SPEAKER_00: Monaco are shopping him.
23:30
SPEAKER_00: He's in the last year of his contract.
23:32
SPEAKER_00: He's not featuring for Monaco, so it seems like they're expecting a move to happen.
23:36
SPEAKER_00: But I would just like to say we need that move to happen.
23:39
SPEAKER_00: We need our starting striker starting and playing somewhere regularly.
23:44
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
23:45
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
23:46
SPEAKER_01: Do we have any suitors?
23:48
SPEAKER_01: I'm sure there are teams that are searching, but it might be that classic, oh well, we'll go after him if this one falls through.
23:55
SPEAKER_01: So we're talking to these other guys, but if that doesn't work, then maybe we'll come back to Belligan.
23:58
SPEAKER_01: And it's like the it's like the uh you're you're asking a date to homecoming, and you're like, ugh, really want to ask her, but if these other people get asked first, maybe I'll ask her then.
24:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you bank you're banking that yes.
24:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's it.
24:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's the one you have in your back pocket.
24:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
24:18
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
24:19
SPEAKER_00: That is exactly what is happening, Brandon.
24:22
SPEAKER_00: There is a bunch of loose, loose links, loosely attached teams.
24:26
SPEAKER_00: No definitive, he's our top choice interest at this point.
24:29
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure as we get towards deadline day, there's going to be panic buys, especially at the striker position.
24:35
SPEAKER_00: That's when we'll likely see a resolution to this.
24:38
SPEAKER_00: But I do think it's just a little bit concerning that there isn't a team jumping up and saying, oh, I want Florin Balogun to lead my line no matter what.
24:46
SPEAKER_00: I wish that was the case.
24:47
SPEAKER_00: It does not appear to be.
24:48
SPEAKER_00: If there is that team, they might not have the financial capability to make that move.
24:53
SPEAKER_00: So we're kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place there.
24:55
SPEAKER_00: So moving on, I just have a few more that I wanted to touch on, Brandon.
24:59
SPEAKER_00: We'll get some concerning news out of the way again.
25:01
SPEAKER_00: This is not as urgent of a situation as our guy Flo, but Alex Freeman, he joined Villarreal last season, worked his way into some regular minutes, I thought was pretty good, was adapting well to the new league.
25:14
SPEAKER_00: He has a new manager, Inigo Perez, and this guy might hate him.
25:18
SPEAKER_00: We have a problem.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: We're through two matches.
25:20
SPEAKER_00: Alex Freeman has played a total of about five minutes.
25:23
SPEAKER_00: He got subbed on in the 89th minute of the first match.
25:25
SPEAKER_00: He went from a locked-on starter to a guy who now appears to be in a competition.
25:30
SPEAKER_00: That's all right.
25:31
SPEAKER_00: We don't we don't mind competition.
25:32
SPEAKER_00: This guy, Inigo Perez, better just have an open mind.
25:35
SPEAKER_00: And once Alex eventually beats out the guy in front of him, he better become a starter.
25:39
SPEAKER_00: But I just want to monitor that situation.
25:41
SPEAKER_01: Okay, okay.
25:42
SPEAKER_01: Another guy that's really, really young, and you want him playing 90 minutes every week.
25:48
SPEAKER_01: Rillay, it was a big jump.
25:50
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we said it here.
25:52
SPEAKER_01: Going from the MLS uh to La Liga in the same season is is a huge jump.
25:58
SPEAKER_01: But like you said, he he proved himself last year.
26:01
SPEAKER_01: He played well in the minutes that he did play, but he's gotta be playing and and I'll repeat, I'll sound like a broken record, Sean.
26:08
SPEAKER_01: But these guys gotta be playing 90 minutes every week.
26:10
SPEAKER_01: We need players.
26:12
SPEAKER_01: I'm sorry.
26:13
SPEAKER_01: I understand a club system.
26:14
SPEAKER_01: There's guys that are gonna have to come off the bench or be reserves, but not my guys.
26:19
SPEAKER_01: My guys gotta be playing.
26:21
SPEAKER_00: Especially the guy who was arguably the one who covered himself the most glory at the World Cup.
26:25
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
26:26
SPEAKER_00: He was a big stock riser for us throughout the tournament.
26:29
SPEAKER_00: You would have liked to have seen him carry that momentum into the season.
26:32
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's a knock or an injury that he's kind of coming back from.
26:35
SPEAKER_00: Not sure.
26:36
SPEAKER_00: It just seems like from anything I can see, he's not exactly first choice yet.
26:41
SPEAKER_00: So we're not covering ourselves with a ton of great news on the US MNT front, Brandon.
26:47
SPEAKER_00: So I'll just go ahead with a couple more bits that are a little more encouraging.
26:51
SPEAKER_00: We have Matisse Albert, who is a 17-year-old.
26:54
SPEAKER_00: I think for my money, he might be the best prospect in the whole pool.
26:57
SPEAKER_00: He's unbelievable from everything I've seen of him.
27:00
SPEAKER_00: He's on the bench pretty regularly for Boris of Dortmund in not only their preseason, but in the Super Cup against Bayern Munich.
27:06
SPEAKER_00: The good news is he was on the bench.
27:08
SPEAKER_00: That's impressive for a 17-year-old.
27:10
SPEAKER_00: That is no small feat.
27:12
SPEAKER_00: Like, really good job, job well done.
27:15
SPEAKER_00: I will say he didn't play, and I don't know how much he's going to play this season for Dortmund.
27:21
SPEAKER_00: And this is where it's a tough situation.
27:24
SPEAKER_00: Do you send a 17-year-old out on loan?
27:27
SPEAKER_00: What does that loan look like?
27:29
SPEAKER_00: Having them live in a new city and potentially learn a new language, or if it's in Germany, just going somewhere where they're not accustomed to as a 17-year-old, that's a big ask as well.
27:39
SPEAKER_00: That's not exactly always easy.
27:42
SPEAKER_00: So I'm interested to see what happens with Batisse Albert versus Udorman this season.
27:47
SPEAKER_00: And then along a similar line, we just mentioned Xavier Gozo getting his move to Crystal Palace.
27:52
SPEAKER_00: All in.
27:53
SPEAKER_00: I'm super excited.
27:54
SPEAKER_00: Gozo is my guy.
27:56
SPEAKER_00: I just want to know what that looks like because he did play in their U-21 match four days ago.
28:01
SPEAKER_00: And that to me doesn't scream, hey, he's going to be coming in and getting first team minutes.
28:07
SPEAKER_00: Now, maybe that's just a conditioning thing.
28:09
SPEAKER_00: We're trying to catch him up after missing preseason with us.
28:12
SPEAKER_00: I just want to monitor those two situations.
28:15
SPEAKER_00: Again, we're just pointing them out so that if we come back in a couple months and these guys aren't getting regular game time, we could kind of say, Yeah, we saw that writing on the wall.
28:23
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, that's not the case.
28:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
28:26
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
28:27
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
28:28
SPEAKER_01: I I don't know Albert all that well, but you'd can can he play?
28:34
SPEAKER_01: He could play at the 21s for Dortmund, right?
28:36
SPEAKER_01: And then they just put him on the bench for the league games.
28:40
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
28:40
SPEAKER_01: So maybe that's that's or is he too good for that?
28:44
SPEAKER_00: That'll probably be what happens if I had to guess, is that exact option you just described.
28:48
SPEAKER_00: I just don't know that I want either of these guys playing.
28:50
SPEAKER_00: I think they've graduated.
28:51
SPEAKER_00: They're too good for that.
28:53
SPEAKER_00: I know it's U-21 football, they're they're only 17 and 19, or whatever the case is.
28:58
SPEAKER_00: Like Xavier Gozo almost made the World Cup team.
29:01
SPEAKER_00: He was one of the best players in MLS this year.
29:03
SPEAKER_00: He should not be going to play for Palace's U-21s.
29:06
SPEAKER_00: So now I don't think he will be.
29:09
SPEAKER_00: I think they'll hopefully come up with a resolution.
29:12
SPEAKER_00: Whether that is first team minutes or that is a loan, I think they'll decide something.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: But in Albert's case, him being only 17 years old, I could see them keeping him around.
29:20
SPEAKER_00: Maybe he'll play some cup games with the first team.
29:23
SPEAKER_00: Maybe he features regularly for the U-21s, and then when he turns 18 next year, maybe that's when he gets his loan.
29:29
SPEAKER_01: Okay, okay.
29:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that that doesn't sound like a bad plan.
29:32
SPEAKER_01: Of course, we're just two guys on the outside, but you you yeah, you again, like I said, you want to see these guys playing.
29:40
SPEAKER_01: And of course it's great to be in Dortmund's setup, and he's in Dortmund's training, I'm sure, every day, and Gozo's and Palace's training.
29:48
SPEAKER_01: So they're getting great coaching, but it it's hard to replicate that game minutes in in a training session.
29:54
SPEAKER_01: So you want to see them playing, but at the same time, I'm very encouraged by both of their environments.
30:00
SPEAKER_00: For sure.
30:00
SPEAKER_00: I think long term I'm bullish on both of their environments and how they'll do in them.
30:05
SPEAKER_00: So I think overall it's a good thing.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: It's just kind of in the immediate future.
30:08
SPEAKER_00: I'm interested to see where it goes.
30:10
SPEAKER_00: Brandon, I think that's it for the US player roundup.
30:12
SPEAKER_00: If I were to slide in one more piece of bad news, it would be that Haji Wright is out 12 weeks.
30:17
SPEAKER_00: A bummer of an injury.
30:18
SPEAKER_00: He just got his promotion with Coventry City back into the Premier League, and now they're kind of signing players in his position, so when he comes back from injury, he's gonna have to fight for his place in the team.
30:29
SPEAKER_00: Not to say that he won't get it or anything, but it just seems like this is a really untimely one for Haji.
30:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's unfortunate.
30:37
SPEAKER_01: It's really, really unfortunate.
30:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's tough, and you hope he's well and you hope he gets back quickly, but that's a really tough injury to happen and happen when it did right at the beginning of the season, but now missing essentially the first third at least of the Premier League campaign.
30:55
SPEAKER_00: Brandon, I have a couple other tidbits from around Europe that I want to give you.
30:59
SPEAKER_00: I think they're bits of news you might not have seen.
31:02
SPEAKER_00: They're kind of under the radar feel-good stories, so I'm interested to get your perspective on them both.
31:06
SPEAKER_00: This is, of course, before we transition, we'll we'll talk about some of the cup results, we'll talk about that Chelsea vs.
31:12
SPEAKER_00: Fulham game, and then we will give you a little weekend preview.
31:15
SPEAKER_00: So this is just a little something to feed the appetite.
31:18
SPEAKER_00: Paolo Debala, Brandon, I know you're familiar.
31:21
SPEAKER_00: I've mentioned on here that he is my favorite ever non-Tottenham player.
31:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
31:25
SPEAKER_00: And fun fact, at one point he almost was a Tottenham player.
31:28
SPEAKER_00: We had the here, we had the Here We Go tweet.
31:31
SPEAKER_00: Somehow the transfer never materialized.
31:33
SPEAKER_00: But Paolo Dybala, he for the first time in a long time, was able to complete a full off-season program without injury.
31:41
SPEAKER_00: So he had a full run-up for Roma.
31:43
SPEAKER_00: He was able to participate, played 90 minutes in preseason matches.
31:47
SPEAKER_00: All of this is new for his time at Roma.
31:50
SPEAKER_00: He is one of the most brilliant players ever, in my opinion.
31:53
SPEAKER_00: He's just really struggled badly with injuries throughout his career.
31:56
SPEAKER_00: But when he's fit and firing, there's few better.
31:59
SPEAKER_00: Brandon, he is fit and firing.
32:01
SPEAKER_00: Season opener, Roma win 4-0.
32:04
SPEAKER_00: Dybala provides three assists, all of which to Danielle Malin.
32:08
SPEAKER_00: So Malin had a hat trick.
32:09
SPEAKER_00: Debala assisted all three.
32:11
SPEAKER_00: Those boys are absolutely loving life as a strike force in Rome.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: It's brilliant to see, but what I think makes this story really cool, Brandon.
32:19
SPEAKER_00: Dybala's contract expired at the end of last season.
32:22
SPEAKER_00: And he had a ton of interest from Saudi Arabia, hefty contracts.
32:26
SPEAKER_00: He had interest from Argentina to return home and play out his final few seasons there.
32:31
SPEAKER_00: But he loves Rome so much.
32:33
SPEAKER_00: He took a 60% pay cut to stay one more season at Rome.
32:37
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
32:37
SPEAKER_00: And he's basically saying, I'm doing this one pro bono.
32:40
SPEAKER_00: And he's like, just watch me cook and please let him stay healthy because he is cooking.
32:44
SPEAKER_00: I still think for my money, he's the best player in Syria, even at age 32 or 33, whatever he is now.
32:50
SPEAKER_00: When he's fit, he's unplayable.
32:53
SPEAKER_00: That I I love that, Sean.
32:56
SPEAKER_01: Especially at this day and age where I actually, it's funny you bring that up because I saw today an article about the Saudi League and the players that are playing in the Saudi League.
33:06
SPEAKER_01: And it's like guys that we've talked about, guys that have played in the Premier League, like guys that played the World Cup, highest levels, and they're all just taking their paychecks and going to Saudi.
33:14
SPEAKER_01: But to see him stay at Roma, provide three assists.
33:18
SPEAKER_01: I hope Mallon gave him a little cut of that goal bonus that he got because three assists to the same guy.
33:23
SPEAKER_01: Come on now.
33:24
SPEAKER_01: But no, that's beautiful.
33:25
SPEAKER_01: And you love to see that.
33:26
SPEAKER_01: And you you never want to see a player injured, and Dybala's one of those guys that just injury after injury after injury.
33:34
SPEAKER_01: But it's love, it's it's incredible that he's getting it, putting it all together at such an older age and still playing at such a high level at Roma.
33:41
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, that's a that's a really cool story.
33:43
SPEAKER_01: I appreciate you uh bringing that one up.
33:45
SPEAKER_00: I my dream is for Paulo to spend one or two more seasons at Rome and then head down to Boca Juniors.
33:52
SPEAKER_00: And he's always wanted to play for them as well, and just go bag a few goals until age 40 for Boca.
33:58
SPEAKER_00: And my, I mean, I'll have this jersey right behind me.
34:01
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I love Powell already.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: So that would be a perfect career ending for him.
34:06
SPEAKER_00: I think it's been a great start to the season.
34:08
SPEAKER_00: I love what I'm seeing from Rome.
34:10
SPEAKER_00: I just wish they had the financial financial flexibility to really strengthen so they can compete on all fronts this year because they're in that situation where they're in the Champions League, but it's their first season in the Champions League, so they really don't have that money to splash around yet, and they kind of do need it.
34:25
SPEAKER_00: They they're a good team, but they're just not a deep team.
34:28
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
34:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
34:30
SPEAKER_01: As we get going in the Champions League, Sean, we're gonna see that more and more.
34:33
SPEAKER_01: These teams that are just one one or two big signings away from being true competitors, until then, unfortunately, they're just gonna be the punching bags or the uh the B-team games for some of these bigger clubs.
34:46
SPEAKER_00: Yep, that's exactly the case.
34:48
SPEAKER_00: The other story, Brandon, this one might even be better than the Dybala story.
34:52
SPEAKER_00: So SV Teifenbach.
34:54
SPEAKER_00: SV Teifenbach, they play in the ninth tier of German football.
34:58
SPEAKER_00: Ninth tier.
34:58
SPEAKER_00: So they are amateurs, okay?
35:00
SPEAKER_00: That needs that goes without saying.
35:01
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
35:02
SPEAKER_00: Well, they have their best ever player now.
35:05
SPEAKER_00: They have Nicholas Soule.
35:07
SPEAKER_00: Nicholas Soule, if you don't remember, he played for Bayern Munich.
35:10
SPEAKER_00: He was a longtime contributor at Borussia Dortmund.
35:13
SPEAKER_00: As recently as last season, he played at Burussia Dortmund.
35:17
SPEAKER_00: He basically has dealt with so many injuries, he's had mental health situations that he said, I'm retiring from professional football.
35:24
SPEAKER_00: I believe he was only 31, 32 years old.
35:27
SPEAKER_00: He was he still could have continued playing.
35:29
SPEAKER_00: His body's been through it.
35:31
SPEAKER_00: He said, I am done playing professional football.
35:34
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go play amateur football with my best friends.
35:37
SPEAKER_00: His best friend is the coach, a couple of his other friends are in the team, and Nicholas Sulla is playing for free for SV Typhon bot.
35:47
SPEAKER_00: He walked in a goal as a center back in his first start.
35:52
SPEAKER_00: He's going to absolutely tear this league up to bits.
35:55
SPEAKER_00: They'll be at the eighth division soon.
35:57
SPEAKER_00: But I think that's really, really cool.
36:00
SPEAKER_01: Sean, I absolutely love that.
36:01
SPEAKER_01: And again, I appreciate you bringing that up because there's something to be said about just being able to retire.
36:07
SPEAKER_01: These guys all make so much money and go home.
36:11
SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, like you said, he gets his mental health right, he gets his physical health right, and just play with his boys.
36:17
SPEAKER_01: Like, just imagine that.
36:18
SPEAKER_01: You could be playing at the Allianz Arena, you could be playing in the German Super Cup and this and that and the other.
36:24
SPEAKER_01: And it's like, nah, I just want to play with the boys.
36:26
SPEAKER_01: Like, probably, probably don't have training.
36:29
SPEAKER_01: Probably kick the ball out on Sunday and say, hey, let's let's have a day, boys.
36:33
SPEAKER_01: And then you hit the pub and have some beers afterwards with your boys.
36:36
SPEAKER_01: I mean, can you you can't ask for much more than that?
36:38
SPEAKER_01: I will say, Sean, if I'm in the ninth division in Germany and I'm playing against his team, you're like, what is this?
36:45
SPEAKER_01: You're like, what's going on?
36:46
SPEAKER_00: Like that's a two-foot challenge straight away.
36:49
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
36:49
SPEAKER_00: Straight away.
36:50
SPEAKER_00: Set the tone.
36:51
SPEAKER_00: Have that.
36:52
SPEAKER_00: Have it.
36:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know what I mean?
36:53
SPEAKER_00: You're we're here.
36:54
SPEAKER_00: You gotta let him know immediately because you're not gonna get walked by a former pro.
36:58
SPEAKER_00: And not like a former pro that's years out of the game either.
37:01
SPEAKER_00: I mean, this guy can still be playing.
37:03
SPEAKER_00: Now, the injuries have kind of limited his ability to play at that high of a level.
37:08
SPEAKER_00: So I I don't think he would be featuring for Bruce Dortmund this year, but he could do a lot better than SV Typhenbach.
37:14
SPEAKER_00: So cool, cool story.
37:16
SPEAKER_00: I think it's unique.
37:17
SPEAKER_00: I will always, whenever I see situations like this, I'll try to give them some light on the podcast.
37:21
SPEAKER_01: Yes, please, please bring it in, Sean.
37:23
SPEAKER_01: And it it humanizes the game.
37:26
SPEAKER_01: You know, we talk about these games and we scrutinize guys.
37:28
SPEAKER_01: Oh, he should have made that goal, or he should have made the tackle, or whatever.
37:31
SPEAKER_01: But at the end of the day, they are human and they just want to enjoy their lives.
37:37
SPEAKER_01: And of course, that's winning and riches and big clubs and TV contracts.
37:42
SPEAKER_01: But then there's the other side of it where it's like, look, I done I've done all of that in Sulla's case.
37:48
SPEAKER_01: Let me just go end my career while I can still play and still run around a little bit with the guys that I grew up with.
37:54
SPEAKER_01: And that's beautiful.
37:55
SPEAKER_01: You'd love to see it.
37:56
SPEAKER_01: I feel like it's a South American thing typically.
37:58
SPEAKER_01: They'll they'll play in Europe and then go back to South America, but they're still playing at Boca Juniors or Racing Club, these big clubs that are making you know lots of money and and and are pros, but to see it such a drop, but but the reason for the drop, it's beautiful.
38:15
SPEAKER_01: So I appreciate you bringing up that story, Sean.
38:18
SPEAKER_00: I think that was well said.
38:19
SPEAKER_00: The human element of it is cool to appreciate.
38:21
SPEAKER_00: So I had those for you, Brandon.
38:23
SPEAKER_00: I think now we should talk about some on-the-field performances over the last few days.
38:29
SPEAKER_00: I think the last time we spoke was Sunday evening, so we did not have a chance to talk about the Chelsea vs.
38:33
SPEAKER_00: Fulham game.
38:34
SPEAKER_00: Kind of a belter, Brandon.
38:36
SPEAKER_00: Proper, proper barclays.
38:38
SPEAKER_00: Once again, this first weekend did not fail to deliver.
38:41
SPEAKER_00: I thought this was a fun one.
38:43
SPEAKER_00: Defense was optional.
38:44
SPEAKER_00: Reminded me of that old country song, Wide Open Spaces, by the Chicks.
38:48
SPEAKER_00: Just lots of space on that pitch.
38:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's good to see you start the season off for these two teams with a London Derby, and it's like, all right, let's go.
38:57
SPEAKER_01: And both teams came to play.
38:59
SPEAKER_01: Uh, Fulham didn't really have high expectations for them, but they held their own.
39:04
SPEAKER_01: Cole Palmer for Chelsea off of his England snub at the World Cup comes in and scores a goal, has an assist.
39:10
SPEAKER_01: I think he really said, Hey, I'm here, I'm back.
39:12
SPEAKER_01: And it we we both mentioned how interesting it'll be to see him play next to Morgan Rogers and how they complement each other, and it looks to be working so far.
39:21
SPEAKER_01: Chelsea also scores a goal, your guys Yao Pedro in the first minute of the game.
39:25
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it it was proper Barclays on a Monday night.
39:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it you love to see that, Sean.
39:32
SPEAKER_01: And uh Chelsea comes out with a win three, too, but that one could have gone either way.
39:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I do agree on the Cole Palmer point too.
39:40
SPEAKER_00: He was back in firing after a really disappointing season last year.
39:44
SPEAKER_00: He was back to his best, which is a scary sight as someone who roots against Chelsea pretty fervently.
39:50
SPEAKER_00: I don't like seeing that, and I did not like seeing Morgan Rogers look as good as he did on debut either.
39:55
SPEAKER_00: He gets a goal.
39:56
SPEAKER_00: That trident, as you mentioned with Jao Pedro, those three are a joke.
40:00
SPEAKER_00: Just their technical ability is it's scary good.
40:03
SPEAKER_00: So I'm assuming Jabi Alonso figures it out a bit more out of possession because they were kind of all over the shop.
40:10
SPEAKER_00: Not as bad as Fulham.
40:12
SPEAKER_00: They Fulham were stretched.
40:14
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they were providing most of those wide open spaces.
40:16
SPEAKER_00: Calvin Bassey was looking around, begging somebody to give him a hand back there, and they they refused.
40:21
SPEAKER_00: They politely said, no thanks.
40:23
SPEAKER_00: That's your area, and it's the whole back line.
40:25
SPEAKER_00: So they need to get that sorted.
40:28
SPEAKER_00: I did say Arboella, maybe maybe the first guy out.
40:31
SPEAKER_00: Maybe the first guy out.
40:33
SPEAKER_00: Now, I do think they have a couple reasons to be optimistic as well.
40:35
SPEAKER_00: I thought Gonzalo Garcia was pretty good.
40:37
SPEAKER_00: He was active at least up top, lively.
40:40
SPEAKER_00: I'm glad I have him in the player pool.
40:42
SPEAKER_00: He gets he gets on the board.
40:43
SPEAKER_00: I don't necessarily know that they're gonna be able to keep teams out, though, is the issue for Fulham.
40:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
40:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it'll be the classic.
40:49
SPEAKER_01: We gotta, if we're gonna win, we're gonna have to win 5-4.
40:52
SPEAKER_01: That's not always look for me and you, Sean, great to watch.
40:57
SPEAKER_01: We love to see that.
40:58
SPEAKER_01: For a coach and an ownership and a front office, probably not their favorite football to watch.
41:04
SPEAKER_01: Sack.
41:04
SPEAKER_01: So they're gonna have to they're gonna have to figure that out quickly because, like we said, the leashes are short in the Premier League, so this may not be a long-term opportunity for Arbolo at this point.
41:16
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
41:16
SPEAKER_00: So, Brandon, that was on Monday.
41:18
SPEAKER_00: On Tuesday, Wednesday, and there's even some games today on Thursday that are care about cup matches, and a lot of secondary lineups were put forth.
41:28
SPEAKER_00: Would do you mind running through a couple of those results for me?
41:31
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, I'll I'll throw you a couple, Sean.
41:34
SPEAKER_01: Our our middle Middlesbrough boys, they won their game against Doncaster 3-1.
41:40
SPEAKER_01: We had Coventry beating Plymouth.
41:43
SPEAKER_01: We had Hull City winning on penalty kicks against Stoke City.
41:48
SPEAKER_00: We had the old adage, can you do it on a rainy Tuesday at Stoke?
41:54
SPEAKER_00: Turns out you could if you're turns out they could.
41:57
SPEAKER_00: Anyone can be united.
41:58
SPEAKER_00: Can you do it away at Stoke?
42:00
SPEAKER_00: I think they could.
42:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Whole City.
42:04
SPEAKER_01: Top top form team in the Premier League right now, question mark, maybe.
42:08
SPEAKER_01: Ipswitch 3-1 over Leicester.
42:11
SPEAKER_01: Sean, I know you you saw that one.
42:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was watching the Tractor Boys and Marcelino Nunez.
42:18
SPEAKER_00: You know how Brandon, we gave out our awards on the on the show.
42:21
SPEAKER_00: You gave out three, I gave out two.
42:23
SPEAKER_00: I'm giving a third okay to a tough performance.
42:25
SPEAKER_00: Marcelino Nunez, this guy, he had a brace, two goals, including an absolute belter from beyond the halfway line.
42:32
SPEAKER_00: It might have been right at the halfway line, it might have been just beyond it.
42:36
SPEAKER_00: But he caught the keeper out.
42:38
SPEAKER_00: Keeper was in no man's land, and the strike on this ball, it hit the bottom of the crossbar and went in.
42:43
SPEAKER_00: Just just kissed it, and it was an absolute, just what a strike.
42:48
SPEAKER_00: I mean, precision accuracy.
42:50
SPEAKER_00: Couldn't have placed it any better.
42:52
SPEAKER_00: So shout out Marcelino Nunez.
42:54
SPEAKER_00: What a player! What a player.
42:56
SPEAKER_01: Now, Nunez, you get your helmet sticker.
42:58
SPEAKER_01: You deserved it, my friend.
42:59
SPEAKER_01: So it's I appreciate that shout, Sean.
43:02
SPEAKER_01: We also had our Tottenham Hotspur winning five to one and a rematch of the Premier League game last weekend between Nottingham Forest and Leeds.
43:11
SPEAKER_01: Leeds winning again away from home at Forest, 2-0 this time instead of 1-0 over the weekend.
43:17
SPEAKER_01: Sean, do you think do you think Leeds just stayed?
43:21
SPEAKER_00: What is going on with this scheduling, Brandon?
43:23
SPEAKER_00: I I thought I was doing a double take.
43:25
SPEAKER_00: I was like, we just surely this is not happening again.
43:28
SPEAKER_00: But it was back-to-back games, Leeds playing Forest to start the season, back-to-back losses for Forrest.
43:34
SPEAKER_00: I don't know who would pick Forest to finish in the top eight.
43:37
SPEAKER_00: That's crazy.
43:39
SPEAKER_00: That's not looking good.
43:40
SPEAKER_00: That was me.
43:40
SPEAKER_00: But I I do think Leeds are really flexing their defensive prowess.
43:45
SPEAKER_00: I knew they'd be pretty strong defensively under Daniel Farca.
43:48
SPEAKER_00: That's kind of what he does.
43:50
SPEAKER_00: They haven't given given up a goal in either of those two matches to start the year.
43:52
SPEAKER_00: They look pretty stout in defense.
43:55
SPEAKER_00: And Forrest are I don't know what they're gonna do.
43:58
SPEAKER_00: They if they play Leeds the whole year, they're They just might not score the whole year.
44:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thankfully, they'll probably only play one to two.
44:05
SPEAKER_01: I guess they could play in the FA Cup.
44:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that one might be right after the next Premier League name.
44:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they'll probably also brand you mentioned Tottenham.
44:14
SPEAKER_00: 5-1 drobbing.
44:16
SPEAKER_00: Just put word out.
44:17
SPEAKER_00: We're back up.
44:18
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
44:18
SPEAKER_00: Just put the word out.
44:19
SPEAKER_00: We're back up.
44:20
SPEAKER_00: Savio.
44:21
SPEAKER_00: He goes, these Brazilians, they changed their name willy-nilly.
44:24
SPEAKER_00: He was Savinho a minute ago.
44:26
SPEAKER_00: Now he's Savio.
44:28
SPEAKER_00: Call what you want.
44:29
SPEAKER_00: I'll call it a bucket.
44:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
44:31
SPEAKER_00: Because everybody's worried about his end product.
44:34
SPEAKER_00: He was on the pitch for eight seconds before he bagged one and did the chirp.
44:37
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I love him.
44:39
SPEAKER_00: I love him.
44:40
SPEAKER_00: The kit's been ordered, Brandon.
44:41
SPEAKER_00: A new number 17.
44:42
SPEAKER_00: I have a Romero 17.
44:44
SPEAKER_00: I just might cross out the Romero.
44:45
SPEAKER_00: Savio, and maybe a little Ino above it.
44:48
SPEAKER_00: I'm all in on this guy.
44:49
SPEAKER_00: Marmoush is joining.
44:51
SPEAKER_00: I mean, what a time.
44:52
SPEAKER_00: It's big one at the weekend, which we'll get to.
44:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's a great time.
44:57
SPEAKER_01: The World Cup boys played today as well off the bench.
45:00
SPEAKER_01: Mickey Vandeven, Pedro Porro.
45:02
SPEAKER_01: So great to see them back in in full competition as well.
45:05
SPEAKER_01: You hinted at the weekend, Sean.
45:07
SPEAKER_01: Before we get there, just wanted to give a quick shout.
45:10
SPEAKER_01: So the next round of the Carabel Cup actually is going to go on the weeks of September 7th and September 14th.
45:17
SPEAKER_01: We're down to the final 32 teams, Sean.
45:19
SPEAKER_01: Now the higher ranked Premier League teams will be entering the competition as well.
45:23
SPEAKER_01: Some matchups we have.
45:25
SPEAKER_01: We have Manchester United, Brighton, Manchester City, uh against Norwich City, Coventry, Aston Villa, and our Tottenham Hotspur play Liverpool in the next round of the club.
45:36
SPEAKER_01: Away at Liverpool.
45:37
SPEAKER_01: So what are we doing?
45:38
SPEAKER_01: The scheduling gods, again, what are we doing here?
45:41
SPEAKER_01: Like you said, Sean.
45:42
SPEAKER_01: I I don't love that, but it's it is a cup.
45:45
SPEAKER_01: It'll most likely be midweek.
45:48
SPEAKER_01: Maybe there'll be some squad rotation, and we'll see what can happen, but not the best draw for us.
45:55
SPEAKER_00: No, a terrible draw, of course.
45:57
SPEAKER_00: We've been getting real unlucky with these draws.
45:59
SPEAKER_00: I will say I care the least about the Carabao Cup.
46:01
SPEAKER_00: You will see me on this platform, Brandon.
46:03
SPEAKER_00: I'm a big FA Cup fan.
46:05
SPEAKER_00: I love that competition.
46:06
SPEAKER_00: The oldest in the sport.
46:08
SPEAKER_00: I big fan of it.
46:09
SPEAKER_00: I don't care as much about this kind of contrived Carabao Cup.
46:13
SPEAKER_00: With that being said, if we go to Anfield and beat Liverpool, I'm a Carabao Cup guy.
46:19
SPEAKER_00: So I'll kind of pick and choose my battles on that front, but overall, I do think all fans would agree this ranks fourth in terms of trophies available on any given season.
46:30
SPEAKER_00: This one ranks near the bottom.
46:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
46:32
SPEAKER_01: No, I agree with you, Sean.
46:34
SPEAKER_01: So now, Sean, you you hinted on it talking about Spurs at the weekend.
46:39
SPEAKER_01: Let's just go over a couple games, what we're watching this weekend, what we're doing this weekend around the game.
46:44
SPEAKER_01: First game we have Friday afternoon, we have Crystal Palace, Man City.
46:49
SPEAKER_01: Should be should be a good game.
46:51
SPEAKER_01: You'd hope City puts together a 90-minute performance.
46:54
SPEAKER_01: They were not brilliant on the weekend.
46:57
SPEAKER_01: Of course, your guy Moresca, you're not high on.
47:00
SPEAKER_01: This is a chance for him to put out 90 minutes and a strong performance from them.
47:05
SPEAKER_01: Crystal Palace, we know is kind of probably on the downward slope.
47:10
SPEAKER_01: So you'd hope that that uh Manchester City just takes care of business.
47:14
SPEAKER_01: Sean Saturday.
47:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, on that game Friday, Brandon.
47:18
SPEAKER_00: I think it's an interesting one a little bit because of the fact that I feel like City maybe got away with one against Bournemouth.
47:25
SPEAKER_00: They were the better team, but they left it late.
47:27
SPEAKER_00: They needed a late winner and some Cherokee magic to kind of eke that one out.
47:31
SPEAKER_00: Palace, on the flip side, I thought they played better than Everton and lost 2-0.
47:36
SPEAKER_00: So it'll be interesting to see if there's a little bit of regression to the mean in this one and Palace actually give a better account of themselves than I think anybody's expecting.
47:45
SPEAKER_00: But I kind of lean with what you said.
47:47
SPEAKER_00: I think if Anza Moresca's any bit of a real manager, this one is surely, surely in the bag for City, right?
47:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we know who you're secretly hoping for, and that's fine.
47:58
SPEAKER_01: There's nothing wrong with a little bit of uh juice in the game for you, Sean.
48:02
SPEAKER_01: So that's that is Friday.
48:04
SPEAKER_01: Saturday, we have a bunch of games.
48:07
SPEAKER_01: But the Saturday morning one, Liverpool Far, 7:30 a.m.
48:11
SPEAKER_01: It's not the worst way to start the weekend, Sean.
48:14
SPEAKER_00: What a good Brandon, what a good 7:30 game.
48:17
SPEAKER_00: We're blessed back-to-back weeks.
48:18
SPEAKER_00: We had Hole taking down Mauled by Tiger.
48:21
SPEAKER_00: You got Mauled by Tiger.
48:23
SPEAKER_00: We had that last week, and then this week we get Liverpool hosting Forest.
48:27
SPEAKER_00: Forrest are hoping for a goal.
48:29
SPEAKER_00: I I think I think they'll get one.
48:31
SPEAKER_00: That's what I'm gonna go out on the limb.
48:32
SPEAKER_00: I think I think Forrest score in this game.
48:34
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
48:34
SPEAKER_00: And I think Liverpool are just far from a finished product as well.
48:38
SPEAKER_00: Kind of the general consensus and the fallout from the first weekend has been nobody's really ready for the season to start, except for a couple of teams.
48:45
SPEAKER_00: Brentford, they were freaking ready.
48:47
SPEAKER_00: And they scored like seven in the cup, too.
48:49
SPEAKER_00: I mean, talk about a bad draw from Mr.
48:51
SPEAKER_00: Premier League.
48:52
SPEAKER_00: We've gotten Liverpool away in the cup, and we had to start our season running into a lion's den.
48:58
SPEAKER_00: But I think that the general sentiment of not being ready is going to get easier and easier week by week.
49:04
SPEAKER_00: So I think we'll see a little bit of a step in the right direction for Liverpool this week, along with a lot of those other teams that are still trying to settle.
49:10
SPEAKER_00: The game I'm most looking forward to, we have that little relegation scrap at 10 a.m.
49:14
SPEAKER_00: Brandon the Coventry Hole.
49:16
SPEAKER_00: The two promoted sides.
49:17
SPEAKER_00: That one's that one means a ton, but I can't say it's gonna be very easy on the eyes.
49:22
SPEAKER_00: I think that one might not be the most fun to watch.
49:24
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
49:24
SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna, of course, talk about Tottenham Newcastle.
49:26
SPEAKER_00: I think this should be an exciting game.
49:29
SPEAKER_00: I don't love the matchup for Tottenham.
49:33
SPEAKER_00: I think Tottenham are a better team, they'll have a better season in Newcastle, but what worries me about Newcastle, the physicality and pace of their forward line.
49:40
SPEAKER_00: Especially when Tottenham's lack of physicality and lack of pace in their back line was a problem against Brentford.
49:47
SPEAKER_00: I think the guys at Newcastle, Anthony Olenga, absolutely blistering on the counterattack, William Osula, he's a freak of nature as well on the counterattack.
49:56
SPEAKER_00: Yoan Vissa does a good job.
49:58
SPEAKER_00: All of those guys are physical, they're all pacey, and they worry me from Tottenham.
50:02
SPEAKER_00: I think we'll have more of the ball.
50:03
SPEAKER_00: I think it's gonna be a fun one for the neutral to watch.
50:06
SPEAKER_00: I'm just a little bit concerned for Tottenham's first home game in the Prem.
50:10
SPEAKER_01: No, that's that's fair.
50:11
SPEAKER_01: I do think I'd assume Mickey Vandeven will be back in the squad.
50:16
SPEAKER_01: He did play a little bit off the bench in the Carabel Cup match.
50:20
SPEAKER_01: Pedro Porro, same.
50:21
SPEAKER_01: I hope those two guys would be back in the team.
50:24
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it's not a great match at home.
50:28
SPEAKER_01: Home also has not been that home field advantage has not been a thing for Spurs the last couple seasons.
50:34
SPEAKER_01: So it's not a great matchup.
50:37
SPEAKER_01: It's way harder to win at home than on the raid for us.
50:40
SPEAKER_01: It's it's not a great matchup, Sean, on paper.
50:43
SPEAKER_01: I also worry these new signings.
50:45
SPEAKER_01: How are they acclimated?
50:47
SPEAKER_01: Are they gonna be right into the team?
50:48
SPEAKER_01: Are they gonna be coming off the bench?
50:49
SPEAKER_01: And there's so much excitement and pressure around that that I do worry that Spurs will just kick the ball out and think they're just gonna win now because now they have all these guys.
50:58
SPEAKER_01: And Newcastle's like, no, like forget that.
51:00
SPEAKER_01: Like, we're here to play and and and take it to Spurs.
51:03
SPEAKER_01: So definitely a a bit of a trap game, I would say, because you don't want to go 0-2 and you'll be bottom of the table and it looks terrible in a graphic, and it it's not it's not a good look.
51:14
SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, we still have to remember it's only the second game of the season.
51:17
SPEAKER_01: So there's a little give and take on that one, but I'll definitely have my eyes on on Spurs because A, that's my team, but also it's a really, really interesting matchup this weekend.
51:29
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's tasty for the neutral as well.
51:31
SPEAKER_00: So I think that's a good one to tune into on Saturday if you're if you're looking for an introduction to the Premier League or one of the better matches on paper this weekend.
51:39
SPEAKER_00: I think that Tottenham Newcastle game 1230 Saturday is a good shout.
51:42
SPEAKER_01: And it's a 1230 slot, so it's the the national TV one.
51:46
SPEAKER_01: It'll be on, I believe, just NBC, NBC National.
51:49
SPEAKER_01: You don't have to worry about having a Peacock subscription necessarily.
51:52
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, it's the game of the week, quote unquote, according to the Premier League.
51:55
SPEAKER_01: So definitely one to watch.
51:57
SPEAKER_01: Sean, uh, any games on Sunday you're interested in?
52:00
SPEAKER_01: I'm personally I'm interested in United and Ipswich.
52:03
SPEAKER_01: Ipswich is in feeling themselves a little bit.
52:05
SPEAKER_01: Uh a couple wins early, a cup win and a Premier League win going to United, United off of the mauling by the Hull City Tigers last weekend.
52:17
SPEAKER_01: I don't foresee an upset, Sean, but I could see a draw.
52:21
SPEAKER_01: I could see a draw happening.
52:23
SPEAKER_01: I don't, of course, this is coming from the guy who picked United to finish second and Ipswish to finish, I believe, 19th.
52:31
SPEAKER_01: But I I do I do wonder if Ipswish has a little bit of form on their side and United's still sputtering, getting out of the gears, that they catch them on and off day.
52:42
SPEAKER_01: So it could be an interesting watch on Sunday as well.
52:45
SPEAKER_00: I'm interested in that one too.
52:46
SPEAKER_00: And I like that's the standalone game.
52:48
SPEAKER_00: So we have three games at 9 a.m., that game at 11.30, so you can't have your full attention on it.
52:54
SPEAKER_00: I think I think it'll be interesting at the very least.
52:56
SPEAKER_00: I don't think that Manchester United are all of a sudden gonna be able to flick a switch and be world beaters all of a sudden.
53:01
SPEAKER_00: I think there's still gonna be some growing pains, even though their squad is pretty similar to last season.
53:07
SPEAKER_00: It just seemed like they were miles off of what was required against Whole City.
53:11
SPEAKER_00: That I don't know that they're gonna, in one week's time, be able to immediately say, you know what, no, here we are.
53:17
SPEAKER_00: I do think there'll be too much to handle for Ipswich in the end, but I don't foresee it being a curb stomping like we saw what Arsenal did to Coventry.
53:25
SPEAKER_00: I don't think it'll be like that.
53:26
SPEAKER_00: I think Ipswitch will believe they have a shot well deep into that game.
53:30
SPEAKER_00: The game I'm most looking forward to, I think those 9 a.m.
53:34
SPEAKER_00: games are all pretty, pretty good.
53:35
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, I wish they staggered them a bit.
53:38
SPEAKER_00: I don't know why we're all, you know, why can we get a 7 a.m.
53:40
SPEAKER_00: game Sunday?
53:41
SPEAKER_00: That would have been nice.
53:42
SPEAKER_00: But I think Chelsea Brighton seems likely to deliver some goals.
53:46
SPEAKER_00: And that's that's after all, that's what we're after.
53:48
SPEAKER_00: You know, we want to see the ball go in the net.
53:51
SPEAKER_00: Nobody's here for outstanding defensive shifts, you know.
53:54
SPEAKER_00: We appreciate them, don't get me wrong, but we're not here to watch them.
53:58
SPEAKER_00: So I think Chelsea Brighton, Brighton scored four in like 30 minutes against Villa.
54:03
SPEAKER_00: Chelsea scored three against Fulham.
54:06
SPEAKER_00: I think both teams have attacks that are ahead of their out-of-possession work at this point in the season.
54:12
SPEAKER_00: So I'm interested in that one.
54:14
SPEAKER_00: And then I think Sunderland Fulham's interesting, Brandon.
54:18
SPEAKER_00: We've talked about both these squads.
54:20
SPEAKER_00: I said potentially Fulham get dragged into that mire, and you said potentially Sunderland.
54:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they face each other.
54:26
SPEAKER_00: Sunderland are now active in the window after they kind of weren't doing anything.
54:31
SPEAKER_00: They saw opening weekend, they said, Hey, oh, we need some troops.
54:36
SPEAKER_00: All right.
54:36
SPEAKER_00: So I think that one's a little bit interesting for me.
54:40
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I I like those shots, Sean.
54:43
SPEAKER_01: I do like the staggering.
54:45
SPEAKER_01: It's not perfect, of course, but you do get, I would say, what, six-ish dedicated windows.
54:52
SPEAKER_01: And then you also have a Friday and a Monday game, too.
54:54
SPEAKER_01: So that's true.
54:55
SPEAKER_01: Also some some extra games.
54:57
unknown: Yeah.
54:58
SPEAKER_01: I do like to learn a thing or two about that, honestly.
55:00
SPEAKER_01: The NFL no, no, no.
55:03
SPEAKER_01: Absolute bozos with these guys.
55:05
SPEAKER_01: I disagree with you completely.
55:06
SPEAKER_01: The NFL's on way too many times.
55:08
SPEAKER_01: The NFL is on TV too much.
55:10
SPEAKER_00: No, they have Mondays and Thursdays.
55:14
SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, those, okay.
55:15
SPEAKER_00: I do agree we should not be playing Friday Night Lights at the NFL level, which is what they seem to do now.
55:21
SPEAKER_00: But in service of the games that happen at one, what they'll do, Roderick Goodell will look you in the eye and say, hey, here's 10 games at one o'clock, and here's one at four.
55:29
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that that is weird.
55:31
SPEAKER_00: I will say that.
55:32
SPEAKER_00: Holding us captive for the 4 p.m.
55:34
SPEAKER_00: window.
55:35
SPEAKER_00: This is not that kind of football show.
55:36
SPEAKER_00: We like I can do an hour on Goodell, so we'll save that for the tortured fans.
55:41
SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say, Tortured fans department, Sean's other podcast.
55:45
SPEAKER_01: Uh always a good listen if you want to get yourself some knowledge on that more of the American sports, typically football, basketball, baseball.
55:53
SPEAKER_01: Those guys do a great job over there, so definitely listen to them and subscribe as well.
55:58
SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you for the shout-out.
56:00
SPEAKER_00: We can we'll at least guarantee some complaining about the commissioners.
56:03
SPEAKER_01: We can at least they'll do a draft or two as well.
56:06
SPEAKER_01: They like to get after it, the boys over there.
56:08
SPEAKER_01: Good, good, good guys on that podcast as well.
56:12
SPEAKER_01: Sean, I think we're I think we're pretty much pretty much good.
56:15
SPEAKER_01: Anything else you want to add for for tonight's episode?
56:18
SPEAKER_00: No, the only thing I'll say, Bundesliga gets underway this season this weekend, so all leagues are officially underway at this point in Europe.
56:26
SPEAKER_00: I think there's some good matchups on paper.
56:30
SPEAKER_00: Nothing that I'm gonna push the listeners to outside of the Premier League yet.
56:34
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna save that for some of the more juicy matchups coming in the next few weeks in the season, but good to have everybody back playing.
56:42
SPEAKER_00: Very excited to keep monitoring the US boys and most importantly, my Tottenham Hotspur.
56:47
SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Sean.
56:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's we're back, we're full, fully into it.
56:52
SPEAKER_01: So, listeners, as always, thank you for for your support.
56:56
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate it.
56:57
SPEAKER_01: Leave a comment, like, subscribe, join the you can still join that Premier League fantasy soccer league.
57:05
SPEAKER_01: You will be a week behind everyone else, but it's only one week.
57:08
SPEAKER_01: It's a 38-week season.
57:10
SPEAKER_01: Come on, make some noise.
57:12
SPEAKER_01: You can you can you can join the you can join the group.
57:14
SPEAKER_01: It's a good group of people in there.
57:16
SPEAKER_01: And as usual, Sean and I are probably gonna be right in the middle, probably the lower middle by the end of the season.
57:22
SPEAKER_01: Brandon, we're tied fourth after match week one, brother.
57:25
SPEAKER_01: We're not doing too bad.
57:29
SPEAKER_01: Look, I I'm setting my I'm giving myself the low expectation so that if I do finish anywhere in the upper echelon, I can hold my head high on that one.
57:37
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it's a good group.
57:40
SPEAKER_01: Also, Sean, Sean created some merch.
57:43
SPEAKER_01: There's some merch available on the website.
57:46
SPEAKER_01: I'm creating more work for him because now he's got to put the link in the in the show notes, but but he'll he'll he'll take care of that.
57:52
SPEAKER_01: That's why we had Sean.
57:55
SPEAKER_00: Brandon says it, it gets done.
57:56
SPEAKER_01: That's how much around here.
58:00
SPEAKER_01: No, but thank you, listeners.
58:01
SPEAKER_01: Thank you as always.
58:02
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate your support.
58:03
SPEAKER_01: Tell a friend to tell a friend.
58:05
SPEAKER_01: We love your feedback, we love your support, and until next time, take care.