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USMNT Dominates Uruguay, How We Did It, Who Impressed and Who Disappointed · Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos

0:00
Speaker 1: In the previous regime under Greg Burroholtzer. There's a lot
0:02
Speaker 1: of things that were good. One of the things, and
0:05
Speaker 1: I've spoken to a couple of players about this where
0:07
Speaker 1: they've said that, yeah, you know, kind of knew what
0:10
Speaker 1: the team was gonna be, and for the most part,
0:12
Speaker 1: right like, there wasn't quite that same competition.
0:15
Speaker 2: For all of the roster sponts or all of the
0:17
Speaker 2: starting spots.
0:18
Speaker 3: These guys were called the Golden Generation back in twenty
0:21
Speaker 3: nineteen when we sort of got all the younger players
0:24
Speaker 3: together and sort of the process and the message coming
0:27
Speaker 3: out of US Soccer was that this was really gonna
0:30
Speaker 3: be the twenty twenty sixth team. And so these guys
0:33
Speaker 3: were not playing I think they were never playing that
0:36
Speaker 3: game that they were in. They were always looking into
0:39
Speaker 3: the future. They were always thinking that, hey, we're the
0:42
Speaker 3: young guys. We're gonna play this World Cup and then
0:44
Speaker 3: we're gonna play the next one. And I remember saying
0:47
Speaker 3: at the time, Hey, this is the national team. By
0:50
Speaker 3: the way, you know, the national team needs to call
0:53
Speaker 3: always the best players today. Whoever's playing best today, that's
0:57
Speaker 3: who needs to be on the national team. You're never
1:00
Speaker 3: guaranteed tomorrow's game. You're never guaranteed next month's game. And
1:04
Speaker 3: I think that's the environment that we're finally back in.
1:07
Speaker 2: Now, what's going on? Everybody?
1:17
Speaker 1: Welcome into the very first episode of Inside American Soccer,
1:21
Speaker 1: a podcast where we dive into all things US men's
1:24
Speaker 1: national team every week in the pivotal run.
1:27
Speaker 2: To the twenty twenty six World Cup and beyond.
1:30
Speaker 1: I'm your host, Tom Bogert, and I'm joined by my
1:32
Speaker 1: friend and one of the greatest players in US soccer history,
1:35
Speaker 1: a veteran of three World Cups and a very successful
1:38
Speaker 1: United States U twenty World Cup head coach, Tom Ramos.
1:41
Speaker 1: Now top, we are extremely excited to start the show.
1:44
Speaker 1: Maybe I shouldn't say we. I'll see if you have
1:47
Speaker 1: a surprise for me here, but we want to go
1:50
Speaker 1: inside what's really happening with the US team, the players,
1:53
Speaker 1: the coaches, the pressure from rosster debates to tactical tweets,
1:57
Speaker 1: what's working, what's not, what it means as we approach
2:00
Speaker 1: the World Cup. Tap How excited are you about this team?
2:04
Speaker 1: About getting stuck in?
2:06
Speaker 4: Yeah?
2:06
Speaker 3: Well, Tom, first of all, it's great to be doing
2:09
Speaker 3: this show with you. I know all the work that
2:12
Speaker 3: you do every day. I don't know if you sleep
2:15
Speaker 3: at night at all with all the work you do.
2:17
Speaker 3: But I'm very excited about doing this show, and in
2:20
Speaker 3: particular I'm very excited starting to get very excited about
2:23
Speaker 3: our national team. I think we couldn't be starting this
2:26
Speaker 3: show at a better time. I think we're turning things
2:29
Speaker 3: around finally, and it's really going to be great over
2:32
Speaker 3: the next few months of analyzing everything these guys are doing.
2:36
Speaker 1: I agree, right when things got really really good. Now
2:38
Speaker 1: we have a four month break between matches. But don't
2:40
Speaker 1: worry all the players, or most of the players, the
2:42
Speaker 1: non MS guys, at least, they're going to be playing
2:44
Speaker 1: a ton this winter. There is endless storylines, endless things
2:47
Speaker 1: to get into, and I really can't wait before we
2:50
Speaker 1: really get stuck in tab again. We all know you
2:54
Speaker 1: from your incredible playing days, the way that you set
2:56
Speaker 1: the tone for this program, of the history of this program.
2:58
Speaker 1: But beyond that, I hope that people will look fondly
3:03
Speaker 1: at your time as the United States you twenty head coach,
3:05
Speaker 1: and particularly with this cycle, a lot of this current
3:09
Speaker 1: pool played under you.
3:10
Speaker 3: Yeah no, and that's really what it's about. I think
3:13
Speaker 3: it's It's nice that I had quite a long career
3:16
Speaker 3: with the national team, but I think what's most important
3:19
Speaker 3: is is my connection a little bit with this particular
3:22
Speaker 3: group and who they are, not just as a coach
3:24
Speaker 3: of the under twenty national team, but havn't been the
3:27
Speaker 3: technical youth technical director of US Soccer at the time
3:30
Speaker 3: to sort of overseeing all of the youth national teams
3:33
Speaker 3: with which these guys sort of came through. It's a
3:36
Speaker 3: great Certainly, they're great players. They've been successful in the
3:41
Speaker 3: youth and the youth game, and I think we've been
3:43
Speaker 3: waiting for that to be translated into the senior game,
3:46
Speaker 3: and finally I think we're starting to see the results
3:49
Speaker 3: of that.
3:49
Speaker 1: Yeah, we talk often about potential, about ceilings, about what
3:53
Speaker 1: could be. And again the team in twenty twenty two
3:55
Speaker 1: at the World Cup I thought were solid, strong, They
3:58
Speaker 1: didn't overperform, but they certainly met expectations. And that was
4:01
Speaker 1: the youngest team at the twenty twenty two World Cup.
4:03
Speaker 1: So it's been a bit of a rocky road between
4:06
Speaker 1: World Cups here. But again after this November window with
4:10
Speaker 1: wins over Paraguay and Uruguay, things are looking up and
4:13
Speaker 1: feeling pretty good and toab. Like you said, the trajectory
4:16
Speaker 1: is going, but before we get into the games, just
4:18
Speaker 1: to establish our relationship, our connection. So we're both from
4:23
Speaker 1: New Jersey, but proudly from New Jersey and thinking back
4:26
Speaker 1: to growing up like you, Tony Miola, John Hark's like
4:29
Speaker 1: those guys were legends, right, like the mythical figures kind
4:33
Speaker 1: of in my family. I was born in ninety five,
4:35
Speaker 1: so I wasn't there for live for the ninety four
4:38
Speaker 1: World Cup. But I'm well read and well watched on
4:41
Speaker 1: all of that stuff. I was an okay player. I
4:46
Speaker 1: played for your academy MJSA back in the day, and
4:50
Speaker 1: one time you coached me and a group of players
4:53
Speaker 1: on a trip to Argentina, and I'm proud to say
4:57
Speaker 1: that is where I knew I was not going to
4:59
Speaker 1: be a profession player. When we were playing river Plate
5:02
Speaker 1: and I couldn't get near any of those kids. And
5:04
Speaker 1: I thought I was pretty good when I was fourteen
5:06
Speaker 1: and I was like, oh, that's what a professional soccer
5:09
Speaker 1: player looks like. So tap, thank you, thank you for
5:11
Speaker 1: being there. Wow, I realized I wasn't quite good at that.
5:14
Speaker 4: Well, you know, this is a great thing.
5:15
Speaker 3: I'm First of all, I obviously started my own club
5:18
Speaker 3: back in two thousand and four when I retired from playing,
5:21
Speaker 3: and I grew the club from four teams to thirty six,
5:24
Speaker 3: so we were doing something right at the time. But
5:27
Speaker 3: I tell you, I think, you know it's it's for
5:30
Speaker 3: me as a coach. It's it's great to see some
5:32
Speaker 3: of let's say, my former players doing well, not just
5:36
Speaker 3: in soccer but in life in general. Just yesterday, Duke Lacroix,
5:41
Speaker 3: one of my players who plays for a Haiti, qualified
5:43
Speaker 3: to the World Cup and that's really exciting.
5:46
Speaker 4: So you know, I remember the trip to Argentina.
5:50
Speaker 3: I liked always getting all of all of our players
5:53
Speaker 3: in front of some of the best players from around
5:55
Speaker 3: the world, and I think what better experience is to
5:57
Speaker 3: go to the place where the players have, you know,
6:00
Speaker 3: a real hunger for being successful. And obviously those were
6:04
Speaker 3: tough matchups for us, but I think a great learning experience, a.
6:09
Speaker 1: Little bit tougher on me than than a couple of
6:11
Speaker 1: the other guys who would go on to go pros.
6:13
Speaker 1: But enough about that enough. Let's getting into the real
6:16
Speaker 1: topics and what we're all here for. On today's show,
6:18
Speaker 1: we just have so much.
6:19
Speaker 2: To get to.
6:20
Speaker 1: Hopefully though, it'll just be a minimum of yelling over
6:22
Speaker 1: each other, as New Jersey guys tend to do, but
6:24
Speaker 1: no promises on that front. We've got reaction to the
6:27
Speaker 1: Paraguay and New Uruguay wins, plus which players help to
6:29
Speaker 1: hurt their chances of making the World Cup roster in
6:32
Speaker 1: this window. With that, Tab and I will give our
6:34
Speaker 1: best starting eleven for this group where we sit right now.
6:36
Speaker 1: I'm sure there will be plenty of changes between.
6:37
Speaker 2: Now and June.
6:39
Speaker 1: Then we'll go inside the locker room where Tab gives
6:41
Speaker 1: us a story of how he brought Tanner Testament into
6:43
Speaker 1: the national team. And beyond that, we'll go inside the notebook,
6:46
Speaker 1: where I give you three storylines or my latest scoops,
6:48
Speaker 1: everything inside US men's national team soccer that you need
6:51
Speaker 1: to be watching this week and moving forward. That's what's
6:54
Speaker 1: to come today and every week. Please rate, review, subscribe
6:57
Speaker 1: to Inside American Soccer with Tom Boger and sab Ramas.
7:00
Speaker 1: You got your podcast. It's so important, so helpful. Please
7:02
Speaker 1: show the love and we appreciate you. We're excited to
7:04
Speaker 1: get sucked in here. So let's take a quick break
7:06
Speaker 1: before we break down the wins against Paraguay and who
7:25
Speaker 1: what a November window it was for the US MNT.
7:29
Speaker 1: Despite being without Christian pol Tyler, Adam Chris, Richard Lesson, McKinney,
7:34
Speaker 1: Tim Whale, Anthony Robinson, Malie, Timman, and Moore. The United
7:37
Speaker 1: States be Paraguay two to one and thrashed Uruguay five one.
7:40
Speaker 1: These are two teams that are going to the World Cup,
7:42
Speaker 1: and particularly in Uruguay, I know that they've been a
7:44
Speaker 1: little bit down lately. Tab this is a team that
7:46
Speaker 1: I don't think anybody would be surprised if they make
7:48
Speaker 1: a little run, particularly getting to the knockout stage is
7:51
Speaker 1: a bare minimum. All that is to say, these are
7:53
Speaker 1: two good teams and two teams that friendly doesn't really
7:58
Speaker 1: ever happen, whether it's an exhibition or or a World
8:00
Speaker 1: Cup match. But I thought was really, really good. So
8:02
Speaker 1: it's now a five game unbeaten run from what I
8:05
Speaker 1: believe to have been the rock bottom of the Mauricio
8:07
Speaker 1: Pochatino era that lost to South Korea in September in
8:10
Speaker 1: which they were dominated out of the game for the
8:12
Speaker 1: first sixteen minutes. Five games unbeaten, with four wins, all
8:15
Speaker 1: five of which against World Cup bound opponents. So Tap,
8:19
Speaker 1: what is your biggest takeaway here from the November window.
8:22
Speaker 3: Well, I think there's no question that the biggest takeaway
8:25
Speaker 3: is that we we just beat and out played two
8:29
Speaker 3: teams that are legit World Cup teams who potentially qualify
8:34
Speaker 3: every time. You know, obviously, you know, Paraguay has great
8:38
Speaker 3: individual players who can you know, turn a game upside
8:42
Speaker 3: down anytime. We didn't allow them any chances to do that.
8:46
Speaker 3: As a matter of fact, they created very few, maybe
8:48
Speaker 3: a couple of chances the whole game. And then meeting
8:51
Speaker 3: Uruguay team that's always difficult because even you know they're
8:55
Speaker 3: at a down moment, they're not playing well, they've been
8:57
Speaker 3: sort of going in the wrong direction and for about
9:00
Speaker 3: the last year, but they're always a tough team to
9:03
Speaker 3: be I think they gave up more than one goal
9:06
Speaker 3: in a game only a couple times over the last
9:09
Speaker 3: couple of years.
9:09
Speaker 4: I mean, you just don't score on them.
9:11
Speaker 3: And for us to score five and by the way,
9:14
Speaker 3: could have scored more, I think says a lot for
9:17
Speaker 3: where this team is, where the intensity of this team is.
9:20
Speaker 3: And you know, you know, one of the things that
9:22
Speaker 3: really stood out for me is that this team is
9:25
Speaker 3: starting to look once again like an American team from
9:28
Speaker 3: an effort standpoint, that's something that we've been missing for years.
9:33
Speaker 3: And now when you add the fact that our players
9:35
Speaker 3: are getting better and now we're matching the effort of
9:39
Speaker 3: previous American teams, I think those are ingredients for success,
9:43
Speaker 3: and I think what we saw in the Uruguay game
9:46
Speaker 3: is certainly that signature win that we've been waiting for
9:50
Speaker 3: for years now.
9:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, the fight, the intensity, the energy that has been lacking.
9:55
Speaker 1: That's something that Marico Bochatino has stressed, both from what
9:58
Speaker 1: I've heard internally in the lock from what we've seen
10:01
Speaker 1: that comes out of the locker room, and pretty much
10:03
Speaker 1: every press conference that I've been on that is that
10:05
Speaker 1: is something that he's worked really, really hard to instill
10:07
Speaker 1: in this group. He's also worked to instill competitiveness and
10:11
Speaker 1: this idea that I don't care what your name is,
10:13
Speaker 1: I don't care how many caps you have, I don't
10:15
Speaker 1: care about any of this, Like you got to earn
10:17
Speaker 1: your spot on the roster, on the field every single game,
10:20
Speaker 1: every single window. And again, there are several players that
10:23
Speaker 1: are missing due to either current injuries or managing injuries
10:27
Speaker 1: or managing workload. But he hasn't been afraid to drop guys.
10:30
Speaker 1: I mean you go back to the summer. Christian Polisik
10:33
Speaker 1: said he needed a little bit of a break. He
10:35
Speaker 1: would he wanted to play in the two friendlies against
10:38
Speaker 1: Switzerland and Turkey, but sit out the Gold Cup, and
10:41
Speaker 1: Poshtino said no, like all right, like you're either all
10:43
Speaker 1: in or you're not here. I'm not calling you go
10:45
Speaker 1: back to the summer. He wasn't gonna call it Giorna
10:48
Speaker 1: or Weston McKinney even if they weren't with the club
10:50
Speaker 1: World Cup. And he's done this kind of time and
10:52
Speaker 1: time again. Tap they've caught up seventy one players in
10:55
Speaker 1: this calendar year. I would say that's too much, but
10:58
Speaker 1: you can't really knock like the foundation of his message
11:03
Speaker 1: of trying to show everybody you have a chance. And
11:09
Speaker 1: in the previous regime under Greg Burroholzer, there's a lot
11:12
Speaker 1: of things that were good. One of the things, and
11:14
Speaker 1: I've spoken to a couple of players about this where
11:16
Speaker 1: they've said, like, yeah, you know kind of knew what
11:19
Speaker 1: the team was going to be and for the most part,
11:21
Speaker 1: right like there wasn't quite that same competition for all
11:25
Speaker 1: of the roster sponts or all of the starting spots.
11:27
Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean there's a lot to dissect there, because
11:32
Speaker 3: you can start with the last part in which you say, Okay,
11:35
Speaker 3: the team didn't change at all over the last however
11:37
Speaker 3: many years under the previous coach. And I think the
11:41
Speaker 3: reason for that was that these guys were called the
11:44
Speaker 3: Golden Generation back in twenty nineteen when we sort of
11:47
Speaker 3: got all the younger players together and sort of the
11:50
Speaker 3: process and the message coming out of US Soccer was
11:53
Speaker 3: that this was really going to be the twenty twenty
11:56
Speaker 3: six team. And so these guys were not playing I
12:00
Speaker 3: think they were never playing that game that they were in.
12:03
Speaker 3: They were always looking into the future that we're always
12:06
Speaker 3: thinking that, hey, we're the young guys. We're gonna play
12:08
Speaker 3: this World Cup and then we're gonna play the next one.
12:11
Speaker 3: And I remember saying at the time, Hey, this is
12:14
Speaker 3: the national team.
12:15
Speaker 4: By the way, you know, the national team.
12:17
Speaker 3: Needs to call always the best players today. Whoever's playing
12:21
Speaker 3: best today, that's who needs to be on the national team.
12:24
Speaker 3: You're never guaranteed tomorrow's game, You're never guaranteed next month's game.
12:29
Speaker 3: And I think that's the environment that we're finally back
12:32
Speaker 3: in now. I think it took Mauricio Porchettino a lot
12:35
Speaker 3: longer than we wanted it to take, But I think
12:38
Speaker 3: Marizio Pochettino now is at a point where he says.
12:42
Speaker 4: What starters, who are we missing?
12:45
Speaker 2: Right?
12:46
Speaker 3: And this is a good place to be because if anything,
12:49
Speaker 3: what we just saw against Paraguay and Uruguay shows the
12:53
Speaker 3: guys who are not here, who are potentially the starter
12:56
Speaker 3: is that, Hey, when I get back, I better get
13:00
Speaker 3: on my horse and be the best I can be
13:02
Speaker 3: because this is not my spot guaranteed. And I and
13:05
Speaker 3: I think that's a good place to be.
13:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, after the game on Tuesday night reached Pochettino his
13:10
Speaker 1: press conference. He comes in jubilant or smiling.
13:13
Speaker 2: He's he's a pretty affable guy, win, loser, draw.
13:16
Speaker 1: I particularly pregame, but after the game they went five,
13:18
Speaker 1: nothing you could tell he's feeling he's feeling fine or whatever.
13:21
Speaker 1: The mood in the locker room was obviously very positive.
13:23
Speaker 1: The first two questions were fair questions, but he took
13:27
Speaker 1: exception to maybe the way they're framed, to the way
13:29
Speaker 1: they're asked, the idea behind The question from a couple
13:32
Speaker 1: of reporters in the room was like, you know, the depth,
13:36
Speaker 1: you wanted to improve the depth. You wanted to improve
13:38
Speaker 1: the strength of the pool and be able to rely
13:40
Speaker 1: on more players than previous Like pretty much the question
13:43
Speaker 1: was without your regular starters end quote, and Pochetino is like,
13:47
Speaker 1: what is this?
13:48
Speaker 2: What do you mean regular starters?
13:49
Speaker 1: Like his direct quote was I hate the no regular
13:52
Speaker 1: players question. What does this mean? It's USA playing, It's
13:56
Speaker 1: the national team. Stop with that mindset every time our
13:59
Speaker 1: decision to pick starting XI. That's the US men's national
14:02
Speaker 1: team playing. He kind of got annoyed by the next
14:05
Speaker 1: question and said, he goes, I don't know what happened,
14:08
Speaker 1: Like we we won five to one.
14:10
Speaker 2: It feels like we lost five one.
14:11
Speaker 1: Do I need to go back in the locker room
14:13
Speaker 1: and then come back out and restart the press conference.
14:16
Speaker 2: And then they kind of asked.
14:17
Speaker 1: About Burhalter's a really good set piece goal where it
14:21
Speaker 1: was at a tight angle, he rolls it short, it's
14:23
Speaker 1: touched back to him and he fires in the top corner.
14:26
Speaker 1: And with him being a little touchy after the first
14:29
Speaker 1: couple of questions, it was like, hey, did you work
14:31
Speaker 1: on that in the training ground or did the players
14:34
Speaker 1: kind of have the freedom to come up that with
14:36
Speaker 1: that on their own? And he throws his hands up
14:38
Speaker 1: and goes, no, no, what happened by coincidence? Like you could
14:40
Speaker 1: tell he was like really annoyed by everything, and again,
14:43
Speaker 1: like I just think that that level of fight, that
14:45
Speaker 1: level of again continuing to establish no, no, no, there are
14:49
Speaker 1: no regular players.
14:50
Speaker 2: Nobody is guaranteed his starting spot. I don't care. I
14:52
Speaker 2: don't care about the players who weren't here. I only
14:54
Speaker 2: care about the players who were here.
14:55
Speaker 3: And by the way, I think what's really important about
14:58
Speaker 3: yesterday and your absolute right. I mean, he was basically
15:02
Speaker 3: insulted by the fact that he was asked if, hey,
15:04
Speaker 3: do you guys work on this stuff or doesn't happen
15:06
Speaker 3: by chance?
15:07
Speaker 4: Because that's really the question.
15:09
Speaker 3: And you know, obviously he's a coach that's been around,
15:12
Speaker 3: so I'm you know, I can understand that, I can
15:14
Speaker 3: understand him being insulted by that. At the same time,
15:18
Speaker 3: I have to say this about the guys who are
15:21
Speaker 3: not here and the guys who were here and play
15:23
Speaker 3: the game. You know, there are games that you played,
15:26
Speaker 3: say we played against Bermuda, No disrespect to Bermuda, but
15:29
Speaker 3: you know, you can make plays. You can score a
15:31
Speaker 3: hat trick in that game, and people are always going
15:34
Speaker 3: to say, hey, you know, okay.
15:36
Speaker 4: It was Bermuda, right.
15:37
Speaker 3: But if there was one thing that we said before
15:40
Speaker 3: the game against Uruguay that was that, hey, when you
15:43
Speaker 3: make plays in this game, they really matter.
15:46
Speaker 4: These plays matter.
15:47
Speaker 3: So if you make a play today that it matters,
15:50
Speaker 3: because if you can make it today, you likely can
15:52
Speaker 3: make it against anyone. And I think there was a
15:55
Speaker 3: lot of guys that made big plays last night, so
15:58
Speaker 3: it doesn't matter at this point for Pochettino, who's not here.
16:01
Speaker 3: What matters is that the eleven guys that played last
16:04
Speaker 3: night against URUGUAYE made the plays necessary to win big games,
16:09
Speaker 3: and that really matters.
16:12
Speaker 1: I agree, and I like what he did in terms
16:14
Speaker 1: of like a motivation standpoint and preaching his message. But
16:18
Speaker 1: let's not also be naive. I think pulistic Adams and
16:21
Speaker 1: Richards feel pretty safe that they're going to be starters
16:23
Speaker 1: if they're fit, but maybe maybe I'm just assuming too much.
16:27
Speaker 1: Really quickly, my biggest takeaway from this window is that
16:32
Speaker 1: there's an identity and a foundation on which to build
16:35
Speaker 1: upon moving forward and currently has already put in the
16:39
Speaker 1: building blocks this time September again after the first game,
16:44
Speaker 1: particularly after the first sixty minutes. That was after the
16:48
Speaker 1: losses of Switzerland and Turkey. They didn't perform super well
16:51
Speaker 1: at the Gold Cup that got ran off the pitch
16:53
Speaker 1: by Mexico in the final. It took a penalty shootout,
16:56
Speaker 1: I believe against Guatemala or Costa Rica.
16:59
Speaker 2: They didn't.
17:00
Speaker 1: They weren't impressive in any way in that Gold Cup.
17:02
Speaker 1: And then to follow it up with just getting thrashed
17:05
Speaker 1: by South Korea and they didn't look like they deserve
17:08
Speaker 1: to be on the same pitch quite frankly, and they didn't.
17:11
Speaker 1: More worrying was they lacked ideas. They I kept asking people,
17:16
Speaker 1: what is this team's identity? What do you and everybody
17:18
Speaker 1: had kind of shrugged their shoulders. Right now, we know
17:20
Speaker 1: what the identity is. It's it's at least basic out
17:24
Speaker 1: of like a three four to two to one in possession,
17:26
Speaker 1: that's how they like to build. It's a four to
17:28
Speaker 1: four to two out of possession, but it gives more
17:31
Speaker 1: freedom to those attacking. Three. Baligin in particular has looked
17:34
Speaker 1: really good over the last few months in finding the
17:36
Speaker 1: channels and finding the space. Pulisik when he's played, looks
17:39
Speaker 1: more connected to the other attackers where he sometimes could
17:43
Speaker 1: be a little isolated in the four two three one
17:45
Speaker 1: or you know, he's not quite a ten, but you
17:47
Speaker 1: want them more centrally. So I think at the very least,
17:50
Speaker 1: this structure and this style of pressing and wanting to
17:54
Speaker 1: press and wanting to be on the front foot. They
17:55
Speaker 1: said that in the summer, they said that before the
17:58
Speaker 1: game against South Korea. There was no evidence of that
18:01
Speaker 1: on the field, but I think again, after these last
18:03
Speaker 1: five games, five and a half really, when they switched
18:05
Speaker 1: to the three, four to one in the second African
18:07
Speaker 1: South Korea, they've been they've been good. But more impressive
18:12
Speaker 1: to me is that it's been a cohesive plan and
18:14
Speaker 1: you watch this team and you can say, oh, I
18:16
Speaker 1: know what they're trying to do.
18:18
Speaker 4: Yeah, you're you know, you're you're right.
18:20
Speaker 3: I mean, we've been waiting for that, right because I think,
18:24
Speaker 3: you know, for the last year we've tinkered, not only
18:29
Speaker 3: with the players we've called in and you called it.
18:31
Speaker 3: It was seventy players that we called, but it seemed
18:34
Speaker 3: like every time we played we played a different system.
18:36
Speaker 4: We were doing something.
18:37
Speaker 3: Different at times when when Jedi played, he was all
18:41
Speaker 3: the way inside if you remember, you know, at times
18:45
Speaker 3: both outside backs were going forward at the same time.
18:47
Speaker 3: So we were doing all kinds of different things. And
18:49
Speaker 3: now it seems like we have that identity back. Now
18:52
Speaker 3: I'm going to put on the brakes a little bit
18:54
Speaker 3: here because we also have to see that we have
19:00
Speaker 3: to look back just three months ago, a couple months
19:02
Speaker 3: ago when we played European team right in Switzerland did
19:05
Speaker 3: destroy us. And so now we have four months that
19:08
Speaker 3: are going to be really difficult for us because we're
19:10
Speaker 3: coming back from such a positive and I think that
19:14
Speaker 3: we're all thinking, well, we you know, we were hoping
19:16
Speaker 3: that we get to World Cup quarterfinal.
19:18
Speaker 4: I think we can do it, and and by the way,
19:20
Speaker 4: I think we can.
19:22
Speaker 3: But I think we have to make sure that when
19:24
Speaker 3: we come back in the next window, we come back
19:26
Speaker 3: with the same intensity that we left this one.
19:29
Speaker 1: I completely agree. As a coach, you could speak to
19:33
Speaker 1: as much better than me, but it's never quite as
19:36
Speaker 1: bad as you fear the game against South Korea, and
19:39
Speaker 1: maybe it's never quite as perfect as things feel, even
19:42
Speaker 1: after a five to one win against Uruguay. On the
19:44
Speaker 1: individual front, I thought this was a really fascinating camp,
19:47
Speaker 1: particularly against Uruguay. This was already a team and I
19:51
Speaker 1: already mentioned all of the guys that are missing from
19:53
Speaker 1: the squad itself. From Paraguay to Uruguay, nine different players
19:59
Speaker 1: entered the starting eleven, So we really didn't know what
20:01
Speaker 1: to expect in that seme game because I thought the
20:03
Speaker 1: first performance was really strong. Only Matt Freeze and Serginio
20:06
Speaker 1: Desk started both games, and over this window, over these
20:10
Speaker 1: one hundred and eighty minutes, we saw pretty much everybody.
20:12
Speaker 1: There's a lot of good performances that'll happen when when
20:14
Speaker 1: you win two games against two good teams. The first
20:17
Speaker 1: guy that we got to talk about, and I can't
20:18
Speaker 1: believe I haven't mentioned his name yet, Giorana. He comes
20:21
Speaker 1: back for the first time in what a year and
20:23
Speaker 1: a half. Four minutes into his first game against Paraguay,
20:26
Speaker 1: he scores aheader. He goes off in celebration. You can
20:29
Speaker 1: feel like the emotion. You could see the teammates rallying
20:32
Speaker 1: around him, which I thought was really cool because there
20:34
Speaker 1: has been issues there in the past, and unfortunately it
20:37
Speaker 1: is part of his story, but he played really.
20:40
Speaker 2: Well against Paraguay.
20:41
Speaker 1: Sometimes you know he's never gonna be he's never gonna
20:44
Speaker 1: press like Brendan Aronson, but he's also gonna do things
20:47
Speaker 1: that only really Christian pools that can do. In this pool,
20:50
Speaker 1: he's a special player and we all hope that he
20:52
Speaker 1: stays healthy and everything goes according to plan. So I
20:55
Speaker 1: thought this was a really impressive window for Gioranna, who
20:58
Speaker 1: then comes off the bench against Uruguay and assist.
21:01
Speaker 3: It's likely that that's the one that's the one player
21:04
Speaker 3: that made the most progress. Obviously we'd have to talk
21:06
Speaker 3: about Freeman as well, but I think when we talk
21:09
Speaker 3: about Gurina because we didn't expect anything.
21:13
Speaker 4: I mean, he hasn't played games, you know, and so
21:16
Speaker 4: havn't said that.
21:17
Speaker 3: I would agree with you that he and Polistic are
21:20
Speaker 3: the ones that can actually make plays in those very
21:24
Speaker 3: difficult pockets in between the defensive midfielders and the back line.
21:30
Speaker 3: And so gior Arena I think, for me has likely
21:33
Speaker 3: locked a spot for the World Cup, just because I
21:36
Speaker 3: don't feel that gi Arena is or will be a
21:39
Speaker 3: ninety minute player by the World Cup, at least as
21:42
Speaker 3: long as he doesn't play for his club. I mean
21:44
Speaker 3: you you have to think he's twenty three years old.
21:46
Speaker 3: He hasn't really played ninety minute games in years three
21:49
Speaker 3: four years, right, And you would want a twenty three
21:52
Speaker 3: year old to be playing thirty forty to fifty games
21:54
Speaker 3: in a year that are ninety minute games in order
21:56
Speaker 3: to be prepared.
21:57
Speaker 4: Havn't said that.
21:59
Speaker 3: I think if I'm a coach, and if I'm coaching
22:01
Speaker 3: this team, I would love to look down the bench
22:04
Speaker 3: and see a solution there, and and Gio Reina is
22:08
Speaker 3: certainly a solution. You know, if there's fifteen twenty minutes
22:11
Speaker 3: left in a game, you know he can come in
22:13
Speaker 3: and change the game. And that's something that I think
22:17
Speaker 3: it's important for a twenty six man roster.
22:20
Speaker 1: Yeah, I totally agree it's gonna be. It would be
22:23
Speaker 1: really really difficult to leave him off if he's healthy.
22:26
Speaker 1: And again, neither that has been a very, very big gift.
22:28
Speaker 1: He hasn't played more than six hundred and ten minutes
22:31
Speaker 1: in a club season since twenty twenty twenty twenty one,
22:34
Speaker 1: so he's really struggled with injuries. A bad decision to
22:36
Speaker 1: go on loan to Nottingham Forest didn't quite get back
22:39
Speaker 1: in adortmun But again, we all know how talented he
22:42
Speaker 1: is and how good he can be, and like you said,
22:44
Speaker 1: tap finding a solution on the bench not a bad
22:47
Speaker 1: spot to be in. Again, I don't want to hark
22:51
Speaker 1: on the negatives, but like the he almost got voted out,
22:55
Speaker 1: like the squad almost voted him out of the World
22:57
Speaker 1: Cup in twenty twenty two, that tent came from, hey,
23:01
Speaker 1: you're not going to be a starter. So that he's
23:05
Speaker 1: matured since then, and I hope that that he kind
23:08
Speaker 1: of will whether or not he is or isn't a
23:10
Speaker 1: starter as long as as Pochettino has that kind of
23:14
Speaker 1: man management under his arm, and everything that we've seen
23:17
Speaker 1: with Rica, Pochettino would suggest that he can. And once
23:21
Speaker 1: again Giorana has matured since that workup, but it is
23:24
Speaker 1: something to monitor. But first and foremost it is his
23:26
Speaker 1: health and we do hope that he plays a ton
23:28
Speaker 1: of minutes, as many minutes as he can. Another player
23:30
Speaker 1: who I think really helped the case for the World
23:32
Speaker 1: Cup set Burhalter. If for nothing else, his set piece
23:36
Speaker 1: delivery is elite and that matters a lot in knockout tournaments.
23:42
Speaker 1: But also he's just a good player. He can fit
23:44
Speaker 1: a couple of different roles. He's somebody that you could
23:47
Speaker 1: bring on if you're losing and you're chasing, because of
23:50
Speaker 1: that Set beats livery he has ended his motor. And
23:53
Speaker 1: if you're winning and you need to see out a result,
23:54
Speaker 1: he's a dog. So I really thought Set bur Alter
23:57
Speaker 1: proved well in a really really competitive midfield group.
24:01
Speaker 4: Yeah.
24:01
Speaker 3: I mean, if there if there's one thing about Burholters,
24:04
Speaker 3: he's got the fight right to start with, and that's
24:06
Speaker 3: the easy part for him, and that's nice to see it.
24:08
Speaker 3: And on top of it, he's a good player. Uh
24:11
Speaker 3: he's a you know, he's a coach's son, so you
24:13
Speaker 3: know he understands the game.
24:14
Speaker 4: He reads the game well.
24:16
Speaker 3: I think the tough part about Burholter is that that
24:19
Speaker 3: central midfield is so crowded. You know when you look
24:22
Speaker 3: at you you have Adams, you have Tilman, you have McKinney.
24:25
Speaker 3: You know, you have potentially even Cardozo coming back. You know,
24:28
Speaker 3: you like, there's so many names.
24:30
Speaker 2: You know.
24:30
Speaker 3: I I don't want to count Musa out yet because
24:34
Speaker 3: I think he's been played on on the on, you know,
24:37
Speaker 3: on the outside, when really he's more of a central player.
24:40
Speaker 3: And and the reason I don't count him out is
24:42
Speaker 3: because we we were counting Geo out for not playing
24:46
Speaker 3: and he came back and here he is now. If
24:48
Speaker 3: we think he's on, he's on the team now. So
24:51
Speaker 3: I don't count him out either. So but the point is,
24:53
Speaker 3: you still have Rolled down, you still have Morris. There's
24:55
Speaker 3: so many players, it's it's a very crowded midfield. And
25:00
Speaker 3: can you justify, you know, starting a midfielder just because
25:04
Speaker 3: he he has good certain up And I don't want
25:07
Speaker 3: to say just because there's no question he's a great player,
25:11
Speaker 3: but I think is that what tips the scale? Is
25:13
Speaker 3: it that he can serve a good ball? And I'm
25:16
Speaker 3: not sure that's gonna be enough. But having said that,
25:18
Speaker 3: he had a great window, he couldn't have done better.
25:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would add too that with how competitive that
25:24
Speaker 1: midfield group is, if Berholton doesn't play well this camp,
25:27
Speaker 1: I think it's pretty easy to kind of write him
25:29
Speaker 1: off and be like, Okay, we're gonna give more looks
25:31
Speaker 1: to Morris and Testament and rolled on and again. Maybe
25:34
Speaker 1: Moosa works his way back, McKenny, maybe he'll be back
25:36
Speaker 1: in the next camp in March, and we'll see all
25:38
Speaker 1: that all the belt, it would have been easy to say, Okay,
25:39
Speaker 1: well we gave him a chance and he didn't really
25:41
Speaker 1: do a ton against two really good teams, and again
25:44
Speaker 1: I thought he was he was really solid. Last one
25:47
Speaker 1: on the big winner side is Alex Freeman. I think
25:52
Speaker 1: that I overlooked him for this, not because he wasn't awesome,
25:57
Speaker 1: but because I kind of feel like he's already got
25:59
Speaker 1: to see on the plane. I know that we just
26:01
Speaker 1: spoke the entire show about nobody. Nobody, spot is guaranteed,
26:03
Speaker 1: all this stuff. But Alex Freeman has been a shooting
26:05
Speaker 1: star over the last year for this team for Orlando
26:07
Speaker 1: City and scores twice against Uruguay, one of which he
26:12
Speaker 1: put Ronald Rajo FC Barcelona center back put him on
26:15
Speaker 1: skates and put the ball in the corner.
26:17
Speaker 2: You wouldn't know that was a right.
26:18
Speaker 4: Back, No.
26:19
Speaker 3: I thought it was Doku coming inside and he looked
26:23
Speaker 3: just like him. And by the way, I know that
26:26
Speaker 3: it was after a free kick, but I think it
26:29
Speaker 3: was following a corner or some sort of set piece,
26:31
Speaker 3: because otherwise, how do you end up with your center
26:34
Speaker 3: back basically on the left wing dribbling inside onto his
26:38
Speaker 3: right foot so, but I think that shows the freedom
26:41
Speaker 3: right that Poschettino's given the players, because normally, after a
26:45
Speaker 3: set piece, if you're a center back, you're like, okay,
26:47
Speaker 3: I better run straight back right or at least stay
26:49
Speaker 3: in the middle, stay in the box.
26:51
Speaker 4: So that was good to see.
26:53
Speaker 3: But look, there's no question I think before this camp
26:56
Speaker 3: started Freeman was on the plane to go to the
26:59
Speaker 3: World Cup.
27:00
Speaker 4: He didn't really need fit. I feel he didn't really.
27:03
Speaker 3: Need this these two games to get to go to
27:06
Speaker 3: the World Cup. He needed to just do what he
27:08
Speaker 3: was doing before, and he just took it to the
27:11
Speaker 3: next level. I mean, the kid is what twenty twenty
27:13
Speaker 3: one years old, He's got interest from the teams in Europe.
27:18
Speaker 3: I think, if anything, Alex Freeman put himself in a
27:21
Speaker 3: spot where Pochettino now has to think that is this
27:25
Speaker 3: my starting eleven guy? Because you really have to think
27:28
Speaker 3: about that.
27:29
Speaker 1: I would agree, And we'll hear more about Alex Freeman's
27:33
Speaker 1: future in the inside the Notebook in our next segment
27:36
Speaker 1: onto the guys who maybe didn't quite help themselves enough,
27:38
Speaker 1: maybe hurt a little bit in terms of this again
27:41
Speaker 1: wide open and competitive roster fighting for those spots in
27:43
Speaker 1: the plane to the World Cup or maybe a bus.
27:45
Speaker 1: Now everybody would have to have to take a plane.
27:47
Speaker 1: We have a big country. So the first one that
27:50
Speaker 1: I think Joe Scalley. I don't think he was necessarily
27:53
Speaker 1: bad against Paraguay, but the goal ends up going over
27:57
Speaker 1: his head. He's a really good fit for that right
27:59
Speaker 1: center back, in the back three or the fluid free
28:01
Speaker 1: to four. I just was hoping to see a little
28:04
Speaker 1: bit more from him though, though I do hope that
28:07
Speaker 1: he'll get another call in the in the build up
28:09
Speaker 1: to the World Cup, but I don't While we're talking
28:13
Speaker 1: about Freeman taking his chance pretty much every camp he's
28:16
Speaker 1: been in, I can't say the same about Scali this month.
28:19
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would agree with that, and I, by the way,
28:21
Speaker 3: I don't think anyone did poorly in this camp, you know,
28:25
Speaker 3: I mean right, all the players played.
28:26
Speaker 2: It was hard. It was hard coming up the three here,
28:28
Speaker 2: both hard.
28:29
Speaker 3: Both both games. Players played well, but we can certainly
28:32
Speaker 3: say that some didn't help themselves. And and maybe Scali,
28:36
Speaker 3: like you say, didn't take it to the next level,
28:39
Speaker 3: didn't become one that's going to be fighting for a
28:41
Speaker 3: starting eleven spot. Maybe, But I think in that game
28:46
Speaker 3: against Paraguay, he did well. I mean there were quite
28:48
Speaker 3: a few times in which he overlapped Sergenio Desk on
28:51
Speaker 3: the right side and got all the way down the line.
28:54
Speaker 3: So which shows again the freedom that Puschetino has given
28:57
Speaker 3: his players and and at the same time the initiative
29:00
Speaker 3: that that Scally takes when he has the.
29:03
Speaker 4: Ball, that he's not afraid to go forward.
29:05
Speaker 3: And I think, you know, as a coach, that's something
29:07
Speaker 3: that you valued tremendously, in particular in important games when
29:12
Speaker 3: when the plays you make matter. So I don't think
29:16
Speaker 3: I don't think Scally hurt himself. I think, you know,
29:18
Speaker 3: it was nice to see him back. I think we
29:21
Speaker 3: had all heard about potentially some issues, some issues off
29:25
Speaker 3: the field. Let's say that that sometimes as outsiders, let's
29:30
Speaker 3: say we don't necessarily know all of them, and and
29:33
Speaker 3: nor should we. But the fact is he's back in
29:36
Speaker 3: the picture now, and I think he'll be fighting all
29:38
Speaker 3: the way to the end.
29:39
Speaker 2: I agree.
29:40
Speaker 1: Another I think group of players that didn't help themselves
29:43
Speaker 1: because they didn't really have the chance to is every
29:46
Speaker 1: goalkeeper that is not named Matt Freeze. Matt Freeze has
29:48
Speaker 1: now started each of the last twelve usmn T games.
29:51
Speaker 1: We talk about how much rotation there is, how much,
29:54
Speaker 1: how many opportunities are given to a lot of players,
29:56
Speaker 1: how much Poachatino wants to see different compinations of players. Well,
29:59
Speaker 1: once he clearly doesn't want to see combinations of players,
30:02
Speaker 1: is that it is in in between.
30:03
Speaker 2: The net is in the net.
30:04
Speaker 1: Matt Freeze again starting twelve of those he started, uh,
30:08
Speaker 1: I think thirteen in the last fourteen. The only game
30:10
Speaker 1: he hasn't started since the Nations League was the four
30:13
Speaker 1: nill loss of Switzerland. So the very worst game was
30:15
Speaker 1: the only one that he happened to not be playing.
30:17
Speaker 1: And he's been I think solid. And Matt Turner wasn't
30:21
Speaker 1: even called in this window. Again, the other goalkeepers on
30:24
Speaker 1: the roster that that included Jonathan Clint's been Roman Cell
30:27
Speaker 1: and Donald Patrick Schulty. I just think that over those
30:30
Speaker 1: three guys, Matt Freeze is just heading shoulders to start.
30:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think he's been showing that and I and
30:35
Speaker 3: I think Pushattino is one that listens to his UH
30:39
Speaker 3: to his goalkeeper coach as well. You know, Tony Jimenez,
30:43
Speaker 3: the goalkeeper coach, was my former teammate in Spain and
30:48
Speaker 3: a great goalkeeper by the way, with a lot of
30:51
Speaker 3: attitude and goal. Yeah, I think I think at this time,
30:55
Speaker 3: you know, it's clear that Puschettino is not going to
30:59
Speaker 3: be making any change, is there. I think Matt Freeze
31:02
Speaker 3: has done well enough to keep the position, and the
31:04
Speaker 3: fact that no one is really pushing them hard makes
31:06
Speaker 3: it a lot easier, right because if we look at
31:09
Speaker 3: the goal against Uruguay, he looked a little bit shaky
31:11
Speaker 3: when he came out, you know, and kind of left
31:14
Speaker 3: you know, the defenders stranded there with the goal open.
31:17
Speaker 4: So I'm not sure.
31:18
Speaker 3: Again, you know, I'm not an expert on goalkeeping, so
31:21
Speaker 3: sometimes that's a good thing. I'd you know, if I
31:24
Speaker 3: were the coach of the team, I'd have to ask
31:26
Speaker 3: the goalkeeper, coach, is what he did bad there?
31:28
Speaker 4: Or is it good? You know, it looked bad to me.
31:32
Speaker 4: It looked bad to me as not an expert goalkeeper.
31:34
Speaker 3: But sometimes a goalkeeper coach will give you the answer that, well,
31:37
Speaker 3: he had to come out in delay so that the
31:39
Speaker 3: player had to take an extra touch so that we
31:41
Speaker 3: could get everybody back, So, you know, so I'll give
31:43
Speaker 3: him the benefit of the down on that one. But
31:45
Speaker 3: there's no question that if there's one clear position on
31:48
Speaker 3: this team right now, that's Freeze's position and goal.
31:51
Speaker 1: Last one in that really really competitive midfield group, maybe
31:56
Speaker 1: Aiden Morris, maybe Brendan Ronson. Again, I don't think that
31:59
Speaker 1: they play poorly, but didn't quite separate themselves the way
32:03
Speaker 1: that Giorana s At, bur Halter and the others did
32:05
Speaker 1: this window.
32:06
Speaker 2: What do you think?
32:07
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I agree. I'm a big fan of Aiden Morris.
32:11
Speaker 3: You know, he's he's a great player, both two way player,
32:15
Speaker 3: you know, playing in Middlesbrough, the way he plays weeke
32:20
Speaker 3: in and week out. I mean, he's just a great player.
32:22
Speaker 3: Would be it would really be a shame that he
32:24
Speaker 3: doesn't make the team. But unfortunately, I think not his
32:28
Speaker 3: own doing, because I think he played a good game yesterday.
32:31
Speaker 3: I just think Burholter did better and potentially surpassed him. Right,
32:35
Speaker 3: And so there's only so many spots you have, and
32:38
Speaker 3: I'm sure Pochatino's making a list, and when you make
32:40
Speaker 3: that list, you know, maybe you take five and maybe
32:44
Speaker 3: you're fighting for that fifth spot and somebody else took it, right,
32:47
Speaker 3: And so I think that's one that unfortunately this camp
32:50
Speaker 3: didn't work out for Aiden Morris, and I think Aaronson
32:53
Speaker 3: that's a really interesting one because I think he also
32:56
Speaker 3: didn't play a bad game against Paraguay.
32:58
Speaker 4: I think, but again, you know, same thing.
33:01
Speaker 3: I would say about g O Raina, where you know,
33:03
Speaker 3: I think Aaronson is not going to be a starter
33:06
Speaker 3: at the World Cup, right as I think Geo is
33:08
Speaker 3: likely not going to be. But again, when if I'm
33:11
Speaker 3: the coach and I'm looking down the bench, we all
33:14
Speaker 3: know what we get out of Aaronson, and he's a
33:17
Speaker 3: maximum effort guy. I would always want.
33:20
Speaker 4: Him on my team.
33:21
Speaker 3: He's a player that I think every coach wants because
33:23
Speaker 3: and in particular, if you're gonna high press, right, he
33:26
Speaker 3: he high presses like he gives you everything, So you
33:29
Speaker 3: always want him. But in the end, if you're looking
33:33
Speaker 3: for a player to win a game with fifteen minutes left,
33:38
Speaker 3: I think we have other options that are better at
33:41
Speaker 3: this point. And unfortunately, you know when you look at
33:43
Speaker 3: down the bench and you're seeing maybe Geo or you're
33:45
Speaker 3: seeing Luna, or you're seeing guys that potentially can turn
33:48
Speaker 3: a game upside down and probably want that. And so
33:52
Speaker 3: because of that, I would say that this was not
33:54
Speaker 3: a great camp for Aronson.
33:57
Speaker 1: So speaking of that, starting eleven, we're gonna do that
34:00
Speaker 1: most weeks, if not a whole lot between now and
34:03
Speaker 1: the opening game of the twenty twenty six World Cup.
34:06
Speaker 1: If the World Cup started today, assuming most of these
34:08
Speaker 1: players are fit and healthy, wod are starting elevens me,
34:11
Speaker 1: I'll go first so that I don't embarrass myself and
34:14
Speaker 1: I don't have to pretend like telling Tab that he's wrong.
34:16
Speaker 1: It should be you telling me where I'm an idiot here.
34:18
Speaker 1: So I'll go first, freesome goal and I have this
34:20
Speaker 1: as the three four to two one. I think that
34:22
Speaker 1: should be the formation that they play every game from
34:25
Speaker 1: now and so when they get eliminated from the World Cup.
34:27
Speaker 1: Miles Robinson, Chris Richards, tim Reem has the back three.
34:30
Speaker 1: Tim Wayer right wing back winger Tyler Adams, Tannor Tasman
34:35
Speaker 1: went back.
34:35
Speaker 2: And forth on who should be the partner.
34:37
Speaker 1: Adams and then Anthony Robinson is just still a slight
34:40
Speaker 1: over Max Arsen, though I think Max Arson is a
34:43
Speaker 1: better fit for that left wing back role because of
34:45
Speaker 1: the way he can eliminate guys off the dribble, whereas
34:48
Speaker 1: Anthony Robinson is really really good. His strength is more
34:51
Speaker 1: of the overlapping runs and maybe that becomes predictable, but
34:54
Speaker 1: for now, Anthony Robinson is there. And then the two
34:56
Speaker 1: underneath the forward as Christian Pool is sick, and I
34:58
Speaker 1: want Malik Tillman because I think that the two of
35:00
Speaker 1: them have a good connection, and again they can do
35:03
Speaker 1: a lot of They can both do things like the
35:05
Speaker 1: number ten, but also a little bit like a winger,
35:07
Speaker 1: a little bit like a second forward. I think they
35:09
Speaker 1: compliment each other well. And then flow a baligan up top.
35:13
Speaker 3: Wow, I mean, I can't I can't argue much with
35:15
Speaker 3: that one. But I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go a
35:17
Speaker 3: little bit different, and I think we have a.
35:20
Speaker 2: Couple same same formation.
35:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, we have to go same formation, I think
35:24
Speaker 3: because it looks like this is what fits his best.
35:27
Speaker 3: I don't think, you know, if you're looking at our
35:30
Speaker 3: team and you've seen what's happened over the last couple
35:32
Speaker 3: of years, I don't think we can be confident to
35:34
Speaker 3: play with two center backs only.
35:36
Speaker 4: I just don't.
35:37
Speaker 3: I just don't trust two together. I think with three
35:40
Speaker 3: we do much better. And I would go with certainly
35:43
Speaker 3: with freeze and goal because he's at this point, it
35:46
Speaker 3: is his position to lose. I would go after this camp,
35:50
Speaker 3: I would go with Freeman. I'm projecting Freeman to be
35:53
Speaker 3: even better six months from now, and I think I'll
35:56
Speaker 3: take Freeman as one of the three center backs, with
35:59
Speaker 3: Richards in the middle, McKenzie.
36:00
Speaker 4: On the left side.
36:03
Speaker 3: On the wide let's say outside backs or overlapping backs,
36:08
Speaker 3: I'll take dest on one side and Jedi Robinson on
36:11
Speaker 3: the other side. I'm hoping that Jedi starts to get
36:14
Speaker 3: back on the field more you know ed Fulham, and
36:17
Speaker 3: that he's consistent by then we can't forget that Jedi,
36:21
Speaker 3: I think to me has been our best player over
36:24
Speaker 3: the last.
36:24
Speaker 4: Five or six years.
36:26
Speaker 3: Consistently, last five or six years, I would think he's
36:29
Speaker 3: been our best player, and I think he gave us
36:31
Speaker 3: a lot, and I'm hoping that.
36:32
Speaker 4: He can get back to that level.
36:34
Speaker 3: If he does, that's gonna be something else on that side,
36:37
Speaker 3: especially knowing that he's got cover in the back the
36:40
Speaker 3: center of the field. Here's where it will depend on
36:43
Speaker 3: what Pushatino wants to do. If Pushatino is thinking that
36:46
Speaker 3: you know mckinnys, maybe he plays McKinny as almost like
36:50
Speaker 3: that second ten as he's done, you know, like maybe
36:52
Speaker 3: top of a triangle kind of thing. I'm not sure,
36:56
Speaker 3: but I'm gonna have to go with definitely Adams being one,
36:59
Speaker 3: and then a tough decision on whether McKinney plays that
37:02
Speaker 3: defensive role, which I think he certainly can do, or
37:05
Speaker 3: you want somebody like I think Testament there because Testament
37:09
Speaker 3: has better fee. Testament has better fee, so Testament I
37:12
Speaker 3: think could do a good job. So one of those
37:14
Speaker 3: two there and then the two behind the forward I'd
37:17
Speaker 3: have to go also with Tillman and Polisic, but I
37:22
Speaker 3: would think that, you know, depending on the opponent, because
37:25
Speaker 3: I'd like to see Weya there instead of Tillman because
37:28
Speaker 3: I think what Weya has a little bit more goal
37:31
Speaker 3: in him and has a little bit more of the
37:32
Speaker 3: running behind the defense, And so one of those two
37:36
Speaker 3: would be there. Polistic would be the other one. Without question.
37:39
Speaker 3: Balligan is the nine.
37:41
Speaker 2: Yeah, he scored I believe four straight starts.
37:44
Speaker 1: It was at least three, So it was another good
37:45
Speaker 1: window for him, and I just think that he's currently
37:48
Speaker 1: the best forward.
37:48
Speaker 2: Though, how'd you right?
37:49
Speaker 1: Wasn't great against the require didn't make an impact, I
37:52
Speaker 1: should say he's somebody. He's doing so so well with
37:55
Speaker 1: Coventry City. It feels like we've gotten answers or at
37:58
Speaker 1: least possible answers to a lot of the questions that
38:00
Speaker 1: were lingering in the summer. And things look pretty bleak
38:03
Speaker 1: then not gonna lie. So that's a positive development. We're
38:07
Speaker 1: gonna take another quick break here. The next up, Tab's
38:09
Speaker 1: gonna tell us the story of his connection with Tanner
38:11
Speaker 1: Testament and how he brought him into the national team.
38:13
Speaker 1: Poll plus, we're gonna go inside and open what's time
38:32
Speaker 1: to go inside the locker room where Tap tells a
38:34
Speaker 1: story from his playing our coaching days and today he's
38:36
Speaker 1: got a good story now he brought Tannered Testament into
38:39
Speaker 1: the national team full Tap taking away.
38:41
Speaker 3: Wow, Okay, that puts a lot of pressure that I
38:43
Speaker 3: have to be able to tell a good story. You know,
38:46
Speaker 3: when you're when you're a national team coacher, constantly in
38:49
Speaker 3: contact with all the clubs, you know, speaking with coaches,
38:52
Speaker 3: speaking in particular, when it's youth national teams you're speaking with,
38:56
Speaker 3: you know, their academy coaches are their second the reserve
38:59
Speaker 3: team coaches in this case MLS, next pro coaches and
39:04
Speaker 3: sometimes you're speaking with the first team coaches because the
39:06
Speaker 3: players are now getting opportunities with the first team. So
39:09
Speaker 3: I remember speaking to Dallas and I think it was
39:11
Speaker 3: it might have been Oscar Pere had at the time.
39:14
Speaker 3: It was a Dallas talking to me about this big
39:16
Speaker 3: kid that they had and that they were given opportunities
39:19
Speaker 3: with their with their second team, and he was doing
39:21
Speaker 3: great with the second team and starting to give opportunities
39:23
Speaker 3: with the first team because he felt like he.
39:26
Speaker 4: Had a lot of tools that were important.
39:28
Speaker 3: And so we called Tanner to the under twenty national
39:31
Speaker 3: team and I remember we watched him over the first
39:33
Speaker 3: couple of days, you know, Brian Bliss and I you know,
39:36
Speaker 3: Mi de Mazi, we were we were all discussing obviously
39:39
Speaker 3: all the players, but in particular Tanner kept standing out
39:43
Speaker 3: and he ended up, you know, as as it happened,
39:46
Speaker 3: he ended up having a great camp. We played him
39:48
Speaker 3: at that eight role where he could get behind the
39:52
Speaker 3: you know, behind the forwards a little bit. We changed
39:54
Speaker 3: them to the number ten role because we felt like, man,
39:56
Speaker 3: we've seen this guy in practice in any small sided
39:59
Speaker 3: game we had have. Man, he can really hit a ball, right,
40:03
Speaker 3: and said, so then now you're starting to add up
40:05
Speaker 3: and you're like, Okay, well he's got good feet, he
40:07
Speaker 3: defends hard. You know, he's got a good shot from
40:10
Speaker 3: outside the box. You know, he actually holds the ball
40:13
Speaker 3: really well with a man on his back. He's he's
40:16
Speaker 3: a big kid, but he's got good skill. And and
40:19
Speaker 3: so the campens, and at the end of the camp,
40:21
Speaker 3: I remember sitting at the airport and I go over
40:23
Speaker 3: and sit next to Tanner and I go to tannor
40:26
Speaker 3: tenor you know, I have an issue that I haven't
40:29
Speaker 3: had here really with anyone. I said, I don't really
40:32
Speaker 3: know where to play you. I said, because you, I
40:35
Speaker 3: think you can play every position. I think you can
40:38
Speaker 3: do anything. And you know, this brings up, this brings
40:40
Speaker 3: a good point that most players are sort of focused
40:42
Speaker 3: in one position. And the reason I wanted to talk
40:45
Speaker 3: a little bit about Tanner is because I still feel
40:48
Speaker 3: like Tanner Tessaman can play pretty much any position, straight
40:52
Speaker 3: up the middle. Obviously, now when you're talking about senior
40:55
Speaker 3: national team, I think he couldn't take Balogund's spot, you know,
40:58
Speaker 3: because but if you wanted to play with a target nine,
41:01
Speaker 3: he likely could do it.
41:03
Speaker 4: He could do it.
41:04
Speaker 3: And if you want to play him as a ten,
41:06
Speaker 3: he has a skill to be a ten and he
41:08
Speaker 3: can finish. If you want to play him as a
41:10
Speaker 3: defensive mid or an eight, he can do both. And
41:13
Speaker 3: if potentially you wanted to use him as a center back,
41:16
Speaker 3: he could do that as well. He's good in the air,
41:19
Speaker 3: he's got good feet to play out of the back.
41:20
Speaker 3: So I think that was that was a neat story
41:23
Speaker 3: about You know, when you get so many kids, hundreds
41:25
Speaker 3: of players over the years, that you remember stories about
41:28
Speaker 3: certain ones.
41:29
Speaker 4: Tanner was certain ones.
41:31
Speaker 3: Certainly one that stood out because he's one of the
41:34
Speaker 3: few players we had that could that could do everything.
41:38
Speaker 1: And listen, if you need a thirty five yard field
41:41
Speaker 1: goal to win an ACC game, Tanner can do that too, right.
41:44
Speaker 1: He famously had signed a scholarship to play soccer and
41:48
Speaker 1: kick for Tablos Sweeney for the Clemson football team. Some
41:52
Speaker 1: people thought that might have been a little bit of
41:53
Speaker 1: pressure on that professional contract to go from Dallas.
41:56
Speaker 4: Butaba, isn't that isn't that isn't that his uncle or something?
42:00
Speaker 2: God?
42:00
Speaker 4: Yeah, godfather, Okay, I know it's not unfamiliar.
42:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, but obviously, like he was good enough to kick
42:06
Speaker 1: and at least be in the mix at London? Was
42:08
Speaker 1: that what were you ever in some of those conversations,
42:12
Speaker 1: what do you put the football away? Like put our
42:15
Speaker 1: football back? Not not not the grid on football? Was
42:17
Speaker 1: any of that ever come up when he was in
42:19
Speaker 1: camps with you?
42:20
Speaker 3: No, no, you You certainly don't want to discourage players
42:23
Speaker 3: from doing whatever it is that they want to do.
42:24
Speaker 3: What's important is what's important is their performance when they
42:27
Speaker 3: come into camp.
42:28
Speaker 4: That's that's what matters you.
42:30
Speaker 3: You know, you judge what they do on the field
42:32
Speaker 3: and how they interact with other players off the field.
42:35
Speaker 3: I think when you have those two down, that's really
42:39
Speaker 3: the only things you worry about really quickly.
42:42
Speaker 1: Our good friend uncle Tony Meola famously was with the
42:46
Speaker 1: New York Jets a little bit as a kicker. Who
42:48
Speaker 1: who's the better kicker, Tony or ten?
42:51
Speaker 4: Wow, that's a tough one.
42:52
Speaker 3: You know.
42:52
Speaker 4: It's hard to go against my buddy Tony Miola. You
42:55
Speaker 4: know he's the best. You know a little story about Tony.
42:58
Speaker 3: You know, we used to train a giant stadium when
43:00
Speaker 3: the first when the first when MLS started the first
43:03
Speaker 3: year of MLS. I mean, Tony can can destroy a
43:06
Speaker 3: ball By the way, when he kicks it, he used
43:09
Speaker 3: to after practice pump balls into the upper deck, so
43:16
Speaker 3: so that was that was that was a sight to see.
43:19
Speaker 4: He hes the pump balls into the upper deck.
43:22
Speaker 2: God, he's so mad.
43:23
Speaker 1: Ye oh man uh no, that was really good. I
43:27
Speaker 1: like the insight on Tanta Testam because we we see
43:29
Speaker 1: him obviously. I think defensive or at least holding midfield,
43:33
Speaker 1: where he can plays like a deep line playmaker is
43:35
Speaker 1: his probably best role. He's doing it really really well
43:37
Speaker 1: for Leon, but it goes to show how all around,
43:40
Speaker 1: how all action he can be. I remember when he
43:43
Speaker 1: was breaking through with Dallas. I was speaking to somebody
43:45
Speaker 1: there and I was just like, Hey, who in the
43:47
Speaker 1: second team?
43:48
Speaker 2: It is the next guy.
43:49
Speaker 1: This was at the time where Ricardo Peppy was coming through, Brian,
43:52
Speaker 1: Brian Reynolds, Paxon Pomicle, you insert. Dallas was a factory
43:56
Speaker 1: at that point after Chris Richards after in Western McKinney,
43:59
Speaker 1: and someone was like, this kid testing it's good, really good,
44:02
Speaker 1: And I was like, oh, it's interesting.
44:03
Speaker 2: I'll keep an eye on him.
44:04
Speaker 1: Do you think that he'll that he's gonna translate to
44:06
Speaker 1: the first team. The guy just kind of laughed and
44:08
Speaker 1: was like, I think he can. I think he might,
44:10
Speaker 1: and I was like, okay, cool, I'll watch that. It
44:12
Speaker 1: was like fourteen hours later, it's like SC Dallas signs
44:15
Speaker 1: Tanner Testament to a four year contract his first pro too.
44:17
Speaker 2: It's like, oh, like yeah, they're they're they're well into
44:20
Speaker 2: this kid, right.
44:21
Speaker 4: Yeah.
44:21
Speaker 3: He certainly is a special player, and I think the
44:26
Speaker 3: fact that you know he's playing at Leon all the
44:28
Speaker 3: time and at times, you know, running their midfield, I
44:32
Speaker 3: think says a lot for who he is under pressure.
44:35
Speaker 1: That was inside the locker room with Tabramos. I'm looking
44:39
Speaker 1: forward already to next week. I think I think he
44:42
Speaker 1: lived up to the pressure of telling a good story
44:44
Speaker 1: test And now now the pressure turns to me on
44:47
Speaker 1: following that up with Inside the Notebook, where I tell
44:50
Speaker 1: you kind of three.
44:51
Speaker 2: Three of the latest breaking news.
44:53
Speaker 1: Stories that that have to do with the US national
44:55
Speaker 1: team and the player pool. This first one doesn't exactly
44:58
Speaker 1: totally fit that mind, and this will be a one
45:01
Speaker 1: off considering this is going to be historic change, but
45:03
Speaker 1: Major League Soccer announced last week they are officially changing
45:08
Speaker 1: the season calendar. They will switch to align with the
45:11
Speaker 1: top European leagues. The league will start in July or
45:14
Speaker 1: early August and it'll run until May with MLS Cup,
45:18
Speaker 1: which is a change from February to December.
45:22
Speaker 2: Tab There's so many different ways to go with this.
45:27
Speaker 1: It could be about on the field, obviously. It could
45:30
Speaker 1: be about the fans and the difficulties in figuring out
45:33
Speaker 1: games in February and March and November in Minnesota, Toronto,
45:37
Speaker 1: New England, some of those northern markets. It can be
45:41
Speaker 1: a really important point in the transfer window, which should
45:43
Speaker 1: help the strength of MLS teams signing players, but also
45:48
Speaker 1: making it a little bit easier for them to move
45:50
Speaker 1: players abroad in the summer when these offers come.
45:54
Speaker 2: Maybe that's most.
45:55
Speaker 1: Pertinent to our discussion here with the national team, that
45:58
Speaker 1: there are guys that teams have had to reject offers
46:01
Speaker 1: for because the offers come in too late, like this summer.
46:04
Speaker 1: The MLS summer transfer window closed on August twenty first,
46:08
Speaker 1: the European windows closed on September first. If a bid
46:11
Speaker 1: comes in for a player on August twenty second, an
46:14
Speaker 1: MLS team cannot replace that player, making it much less
46:17
Speaker 1: likely that they would sell so toab What are your
46:20
Speaker 1: I guess overall thoughts on the huge schedule change as
46:22
Speaker 1: a former MLS.
46:23
Speaker 3: Coach, Yeah, I think it's not certainly not easy, not
46:27
Speaker 3: easy because of the weather and as you mentioned, you
46:30
Speaker 3: know some of the clubs from you know, up North
46:33
Speaker 3: and from Canada that they will certainly have a tough
46:37
Speaker 3: time with this on figuring out how that's going to work.
46:40
Speaker 3: But I'm sure they have figured it out. That's why
46:42
Speaker 3: they made the change, right. I think in general the
46:45
Speaker 3: change is very positive. I think being on schedule with
46:48
Speaker 3: the rest of the world makes the league a little
46:50
Speaker 3: bit more let's say, legit, right, not that it wasn't
46:52
Speaker 3: legit before, but I think it makes it more legit.
46:56
Speaker 3: Being on the same calendar makes makes a big difference
46:59
Speaker 3: for player transfer as you mentioned, and I think above
47:02
Speaker 3: and beyond it, it's just the competition in general will
47:06
Speaker 3: benefit from it.
47:08
Speaker 1: I totally agree. I speak to sporting directors around the league.
47:12
Speaker 1: I think to a person, everybody was pretty much overwhelmingly positive.
47:16
Speaker 1: The only pushback from one person was while they said
47:19
Speaker 1: this was a very good thing in terms of the
47:21
Speaker 1: transfer window, it was you know, well, now we're out
47:24
Speaker 1: of sync with Argentina and Brazil, which are two markets
47:27
Speaker 1: that teams acquire players from, and the Brazilian leagues have
47:30
Speaker 1: such such spending power now and have been looking at
47:33
Speaker 1: MLS a little bit more. We could run into similar
47:36
Speaker 1: problems there, but I don't think. I think that pales
47:39
Speaker 1: in comparison to the positives. And same thing for I
47:42
Speaker 1: feel for the fans, I really do, particularly if you're
47:45
Speaker 1: in some of those northern markets. But I also felt
47:48
Speaker 1: for the fans in Houston and Dallas and Orlando and
47:51
Speaker 1: Miami playing in July, playing in June, playing in that humanity,
47:55
Speaker 1: there will be games that are moved to snow and
47:58
Speaker 1: winter weather, same way that Miami and Orlando have about
48:02
Speaker 1: five or.
48:02
Speaker 2: Six delays every summer for their games because of the weather.
48:05
Speaker 4: So well, I mean, I I wore a suit in
48:07
Speaker 4: Houston every day. You're a mad so that was that
48:12
Speaker 4: was certainly not easy.
48:13
Speaker 3: So I you know, I uh, I congratulate UH, you
48:17
Speaker 3: know Ben Olsen in Houston now because he he's benefiting
48:21
Speaker 3: most UH from from this UH schedule change. But you know,
48:26
Speaker 3: having said that, yeah, overall is very positive. I have
48:29
Speaker 3: heard about some teams potentially covering their stadiums UH for
48:33
Speaker 3: the winter, so that that you know, that could potentially
48:35
Speaker 3: be something important. Again, very positive move for MLS and
48:41
Speaker 3: uh nice to see.
48:43
Speaker 2: I agree.
48:44
Speaker 1: Let's move on to number two talking about summer trends,
48:47
Speaker 1: so talking about potential to US national team players.
48:49
Speaker 2: On the move.
48:50
Speaker 1: Alex Freeman, the star of this camp. Last summer, Villa
48:55
Speaker 1: Royal had a couple of bids rejected, Villa Real or
48:59
Speaker 1: the overwhelming favor to sign him. I would say Alex
49:01
Speaker 1: Freeman has one year left on his contract and there
49:05
Speaker 1: is a strong probability if he gets to the end
49:09
Speaker 1: of his contract, he's just going to sign with Villa
49:11
Speaker 1: Raal for free, unless that another team comes in with
49:13
Speaker 1: a late offer. There were a lot of teams interested
49:15
Speaker 1: in him and still are, but Villa Rao are firmly
49:17
Speaker 1: in the driver's seat. What I think is more likely
49:20
Speaker 1: is that there is a deal agreed this winter between
49:24
Speaker 1: Orlando City and Villa REAEO. Sources tell me that that
49:26
Speaker 1: is a real possibility. What I'm also told is Freeman
49:30
Speaker 1: obviously wants to secure his future. He believes that Villa
49:33
Speaker 1: Real is the right move, is the strong move is
49:36
Speaker 1: he believes in the project. He also wants he doesn't
49:40
Speaker 1: want to leave Orlando for free like.
49:42
Speaker 2: He loves that club. He is a.
49:44
Speaker 1: Product of their academy. He appreciates Oscar Prea and the
49:47
Speaker 1: front office and bringing him along, giving him chances, and
49:49
Speaker 1: he's taken that chance. He would he hopes that there's
49:53
Speaker 1: a way that there could be a deal agreed and possibly,
49:56
Speaker 1: if not, probably alone back where he continues to play
49:59
Speaker 1: for Orlando for the next six or twelve months before
50:01
Speaker 1: going to Villa Real. So Alex Freeman to Villa Real,
50:04
Speaker 1: that is the team to watch for him. He will
50:06
Speaker 1: make this move at some point over the next twelve months.
50:08
Speaker 1: It just depends on when.
50:10
Speaker 4: Well.
50:11
Speaker 3: First of all, Via Reel is a great team. You
50:14
Speaker 3: know they they they play well, they have good players,
50:18
Speaker 3: They're a foot forward team. They you know, they press high,
50:22
Speaker 3: they you know, they keep the ball. I think it
50:23
Speaker 3: would be this would be a great fit for him
50:27
Speaker 3: on the field. Having said that, if you're Via Real
50:31
Speaker 3: and you just watch the game against Uruguay, I'm sure
50:34
Speaker 3: you're on the phone today saying how do we make
50:36
Speaker 3: this happen right away.
50:37
Speaker 4: Before this gets out of hand?
50:39
Speaker 1: Right?
50:40
Speaker 4: So I agree with you.
50:42
Speaker 3: I think I think this deal will get done in
50:44
Speaker 3: the winter, and whether that means that he goes in
50:47
Speaker 3: the winter or not, that's to be determined. I don't
50:49
Speaker 3: think it would be a good idea for Alex Freeman.
50:52
Speaker 4: To go in the middle of the season.
50:53
Speaker 3: Normally is very difficult for a player to join a
50:57
Speaker 3: team in the middle and be successful unless you're let's
50:59
Speaker 3: say center forward or position where goals is the only
51:03
Speaker 3: thing that matters. Anyway, I think that the likely scenario
51:07
Speaker 3: would be that he gets signed to v A Real
51:09
Speaker 3: this winter and stays down loan here till the for
51:13
Speaker 3: the next MLS season and goes after that.
51:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think if that would make sense for everybody.
51:18
Speaker 1: But it's about a deal getting done and we'll see.
51:20
Speaker 1: There are a lot of level headed and smart people
51:22
Speaker 1: within Orlando. I'm assuming the same at Villa Rail, though
51:24
Speaker 1: I can't speak to that personally, but it's certainly an
51:27
Speaker 1: exciting one and a very very good player getting potentially
51:30
Speaker 1: a very good move. Number three little dual national side
51:33
Speaker 1: of things. Brian Guzierra Chicago Fire, attacking midfield. He got
51:37
Speaker 1: his Mexican passport. The Mexican Federation has been in contact
51:40
Speaker 1: with him. It looks more and more likely that he's
51:45
Speaker 1: going to file a one time switch with Mexico, I
51:48
Speaker 1: would need to brush up on the rules, and maybe
51:49
Speaker 1: he would go for a camp first before making that decision,
51:52
Speaker 1: because when you make that one time switch, you can't
51:54
Speaker 1: come back. He hasn't gotten many opportunities with the US
51:57
Speaker 1: national team, which is totally fine and fair, and he's
52:01
Speaker 1: exploring his keeping his options open for Mexico. And with
52:04
Speaker 1: that being said, I'm told pretty much every big club
52:07
Speaker 1: in League A Mechi's, particularly now that he's got his
52:09
Speaker 1: passport and will count as a domestic player if there.
52:11
Speaker 2: Was to be a move.
52:13
Speaker 1: Monterrey and Cluve America are the two teams that I've
52:16
Speaker 1: heard that are really pushing for Brian gutierres and bids
52:18
Speaker 1: are expected to come sooner rather than later. Chicago Fire
52:21
Speaker 1: rejected a bid I believe twelve months ago or last
52:25
Speaker 1: winter from Chivas for Brian Guzierra, So the League A
52:29
Speaker 1: Mechi's interest is not new. The passport is new, and
52:32
Speaker 1: I think that changes things.
52:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, first of all, Gutieri is a great player.
52:37
Speaker 4: He's so fun to watch. I really like him.
52:41
Speaker 3: But I think he's likely looking at the same crowded
52:45
Speaker 3: midfield that we're looking at with the national team and
52:47
Speaker 3: seeing where am I going to have the best opportunities,
52:51
Speaker 3: And I think unfortunately sometimes you know, with the national teams,
52:56
Speaker 3: as much as you want to keep everyone sort of
52:59
Speaker 3: under your banner, you know, players just at the end
53:02
Speaker 3: of the day are going to do what's best for
53:04
Speaker 3: them and for their families. And I think likely in
53:07
Speaker 3: this case, I'm not going to disagree with with Brian
53:11
Speaker 3: Gatti's that going to Mexico is likely a good move.
53:14
Speaker 3: I think he's gonna have more of an opportunity to
53:17
Speaker 3: play on that Mexico team that he would on this
53:21
Speaker 3: US team, at least the current US team. So I
53:24
Speaker 3: think good move for him, unfortunate move for for US,
53:28
Speaker 3: but I think it comes at a time where our
53:30
Speaker 3: midfield is overcrowded and his chances would be very limited.
53:34
Speaker 1: And on the personal side, for the club side, those
53:37
Speaker 1: are the Gemmicki's Giants, those are really really big clubs
53:40
Speaker 1: for for I don't know if some fans don't don't
53:43
Speaker 1: understand how big that is, like going there, or or
53:46
Speaker 1: maybe you know, maybe somebody wants to see him go
53:47
Speaker 1: to Europe. There's a lot more money in Mexico, and
53:49
Speaker 1: I got to tell you, the pressure, the pressure is there.
53:51
Speaker 1: Those are really big clubs, and I hope that people
53:53
Speaker 1: understand and can respect that. So with that tab, it's
53:57
Speaker 1: our first episode. I think it went pretty well. I
53:59
Speaker 1: think we should this again next week.
54:00
Speaker 4: We made it. Maybe we should do it, we should
54:03
Speaker 4: do another one, right, I.
54:05
Speaker 1: Agree, and I hope, I hope that are that are
54:07
Speaker 1: wonderful pauses here at iHeart agree. So thank you so
54:10
Speaker 1: much for listening to the first episode of Inside American Soccer.
54:13
Speaker 1: Please rate, review, and subscribe. New shows drop every Wednesday.
54:17
Speaker 2: We'll see you next week.