Latest / The Sean O'Connell Show / Jeff Carlisle on the USMNT vs Belgium Monday in World Cup knockout Round of 16, Flo Balogun's red card vs Bosnia + more

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Jeff Carlisle on the USMNT vs Belgium Monday in World Cup knockout Round of 16, Flo Balogun's red card vs Bosnia + more · The Sean O'Connell Show

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  Speaker 1: You were listening to a Sean O'Connell show, your source
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  Speaker 1: for the best youths football coverage. Here's oc from the.
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  Speaker 2: Murdoch Hyundai Studio of ESPN seven hundred at ninety two
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  Speaker 2: to one alf M No Sean O'Connell today. Bill Riley
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  Speaker 2: back in my old slot, filling in for Sean here
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  Speaker 2: on ESPN seven hundred, two hours in one hour to
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  Speaker 2: go on this Thursday, and a World Cup is fired
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  Speaker 2: up for this Thursday. The first of three matches down.
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  Speaker 2: It's so FI today in Los Angeles. Spain and Austria
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  Speaker 2: going at it. They're in the third minute, just underway
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  Speaker 2: and scoreless. We'll follow that up with Portugal, Croatia, then
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  Speaker 2: Switzerland Algerias.
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  Speaker 1: Good matches today.
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  Speaker 2: The United States advanced in a knockout round game last night,
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  Speaker 2: first time since O two took down Bosnia two oh
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  Speaker 2: last night. Had to overcome a little something something to
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  Speaker 2: get it done. The red card to flow Balligan. Still
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  Speaker 2: got it done. Good free kick from Tillman, and United
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  Speaker 2: States advances to see Belgium all on Monday in Seattle.
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  Speaker 2: Our next guest. He's covered many a World Cup FREESPN
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  Speaker 2: dot com. He's covered many a US men's national team,
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  Speaker 2: and he was on site last night in San Francisco,
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  Speaker 2: or at least in the Bay Area, not technically San Francisco,
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  Speaker 2: Santa Clara. Jeff Carlisle with US today before he heads
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  Speaker 2: off to Seattle. How are you, Jeff, I'm doing fantastic.
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  Speaker 2: So quite a night last night at the stadium also
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  Speaker 2: known as Levi's. What did you make of the two
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  Speaker 2: nothing victory for the United States?
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  Speaker 3: I mean, I thought it was a really good result
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  Speaker 3: when you factor all the crazy stuff that went down,
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  Speaker 3: you know, it was you know, Bozzi is a tough
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  Speaker 3: team defensively, you know, they're very organized, very compact, very physical,
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  Speaker 3: and you know, it certainly took a while for the US,
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  Speaker 3: I think, to to kind of find a breakthrough. But
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  Speaker 3: you know, you can just kind of see the press
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  Speaker 3: beginning to take its tolls the first half went on.
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  Speaker 3: You know, they were starting to create more and more
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  Speaker 3: opportunities out of that, and then they finally got a breakthrough.
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  Speaker 3: But you know, obviously the red card to flow Balligan
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  Speaker 3: changed everything. And you know, it looked like the US
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  Speaker 3: was managing the game pretty well, and then they found
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  Speaker 3: themselves in a little bit of a dogfight. But I
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  Speaker 3: thought that the US defended well, they're pretty composed. I
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  Speaker 3: mean there were a few half chances for Bosnia, but
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  Speaker 3: you know, then Malick Tilman is able to get that
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  Speaker 3: fantastic free kick goal. I mean it was really impressive.
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  Speaker 3: I thought the way the US didn't just sit back
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  Speaker 3: the whole time. I mean, Christian Polistic almost had a
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  Speaker 3: goal that got waived off or offside, but you know,
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  Speaker 3: they still were aggressive and they still tried to get
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  Speaker 3: that killer goal and they were able to find it
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  Speaker 3: through Malick Tilman's free kick.
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  Speaker 2: I want to talk about the match a little bit
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  Speaker 2: more in obviously what lies ahead, but what has changed
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  Speaker 2: with this team over the last six months. They were
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  Speaker 2: not great last fall, they weren't great earlier this year
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  Speaker 2: in the run up to this. You've been around them,
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  Speaker 2: you've covered it. What what is you What have you
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  Speaker 2: seen that's changed here? Because there was not a lot
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  Speaker 2: of it was not a lot of good vibes going
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  Speaker 2: on back in March and even late last year around
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  Speaker 2: this squad.
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  Speaker 3: Well, I think it's two things, health and time. You know,
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  Speaker 3: you look back at some of the earlier windows, you know,
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  Speaker 3: there always seemed to be a key player missing, whether
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  Speaker 3: it was a Tyler Adams or a Chris Richards or
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  Speaker 3: a Christian Polisic. And so, you know, I think that
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  Speaker 3: delayed kind of the chemistry building process, if you will.
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  Speaker 3: You know, it was kind of hard for these guys
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  Speaker 3: to get on the same page. And you know, I
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  Speaker 3: say that because when you play a high press, it
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  Speaker 3: has to be coordinated. I mean, if one person is
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  Speaker 3: not on the same page, then the whole thing breaks down.
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  Speaker 3: So I think being together for the last month, uh,
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  Speaker 3: just the you know, the entire team and then having
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  Speaker 3: everybody available has made just a huge, huge difference for
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  Speaker 3: this US men's national team.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it looks night and day and there just seems
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  Speaker 2: to be And it feels like maybe Pochettino had felt
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  Speaker 2: this way the whole way and the outside, maybe because
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  Speaker 2: he was around it and knew if they got healthy
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  Speaker 2: and got a little bit more time together, Because he
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  Speaker 2: seems to have been the one that's kind of been
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  Speaker 2: the constant through this. It was almost like he was
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  Speaker 2: telling everybody, Hey, I know what we have here, give
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  Speaker 2: us a little bit more time.
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  Speaker 1: Do you feel that way?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah? Absolutely, you know, he you know, trust the processes. Yes,
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  Speaker 3: it's kind of become a cliche almost when you when
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  Speaker 3: you think back to its USA in the NBA. But
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  Speaker 3: you know, I think that was what what Pochettino was preaching,
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  Speaker 3: you know, the entire time, and you know we saw
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  Speaker 3: glimpses of it. You know, they had a really good
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  Speaker 3: November window when they beat Paraguay and then they absolutely
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  Speaker 3: took a part Uruguay. I mean that that five to
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  Speaker 3: one game. It was like, okay, you know, you know,
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  Speaker 3: we're starting to see some signs of progress. Obviously, it
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  Speaker 3: was kind of two steps back in the March window
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  Speaker 3: when they played Portugal and Belgium, but you know, you
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  Speaker 3: could you could kind of see it a little bit. Okay,
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  Speaker 3: if they get the pieces together, you know, if they
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  Speaker 3: get you know, the top choice lineup on the field
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  Speaker 3: at the same time, then this could work. But you
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  Speaker 3: know they've had to do it on the field, and
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  Speaker 3: that's where I think that the time aspect has come through.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, these guys have been together since May twenty six,
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  Speaker 3: you know, when the roster was announced, and you can
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  Speaker 3: just see the chemistry building day by day, and these
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  Speaker 3: guys believe in what Poschatino is preaching, and I think
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  Speaker 3: that goes a long way. That's so critical because if
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  Speaker 3: they're not buying what he's selling, then then none of
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  Speaker 3: this works. And so it's been a really impressive progression.
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  Speaker 3: I think that this team has taken just you know,
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  Speaker 3: over the last month, and it seems to be growing
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  Speaker 3: by the day.
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  Speaker 2: As somebody who's seen this team in the iterations and
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  Speaker 2: the build up to this over the last couple of years,
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  Speaker 2: is there a player right now, Jeff that's been the
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  Speaker 2: biggest surprise or the biggest eye opener to you, or
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  Speaker 2: somebody that you feel has really just begun to come
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  Speaker 2: into their own.
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  Speaker 3: Malie Tillman, for sure. You know. I think you know
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  Speaker 3: when the roster was announced and Tanner Tessaman was not
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  Speaker 3: on it, it was like, Okay, who's gonna partner Kyler
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  Speaker 3: Adams in the center of midfield and push you Tino.
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  Speaker 3: I remember on the on the on the day of
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  Speaker 3: the roster announcement, he threw out some names. He threw
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  Speaker 3: out g Arena, but one of them he threw.
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  Speaker 1: Out was Malik Tilman.
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  Speaker 3: And I have to say I was a skeptic. I
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  Speaker 3: wasn't sure that he could really excel in that role.
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  Speaker 3: But he has been just fantastic on both sides of
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  Speaker 3: the ball. I mean, I mean the defensive side. That
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  Speaker 3: was something that I hadn't really seen out of him before.
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  Speaker 1: Uh.
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  Speaker 3: You know, we've seen him in the attacking third, you know,
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  Speaker 3: kind of the the clever flicks and and uh, you know,
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  Speaker 3: subtle passes. You know, we've seen that before. But to
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  Speaker 3: be able to do the tackling and the front work
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  Speaker 3: and the ball recovery, I mean, that was something that
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  Speaker 3: I had not seen from him before. And uh, it's
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  Speaker 3: been really impressive. Obviously, he gets a fantastic goal yesterday, Uh,
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  Speaker 3: but I think that was really just reward for the
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  Speaker 3: effort and the work that he has put in, you know,
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  Speaker 3: obviously on the practice field, but in the games as well.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, he's been a real difference maker. I can
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  Speaker 3: remember back to the twenty twenty two World Cup, you know,
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  Speaker 3: with Adams and McKenny and Eunice Mussa and everyone thought, Okay,
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  Speaker 3: this midfield is going to be around for a decade.
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  Speaker 3: And obviously Mussa felt falls off, but Tillman has been
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  Speaker 3: there to take his place, and it's just been really
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  Speaker 3: impressive to see the cohesion in this trio and just
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  Speaker 3: the way they win the ball back and the pressure
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  Speaker 3: that they put on the opposition. It's been fantastic, and
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  Speaker 3: Tilman is certainly a big part of that.
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  Speaker 2: Jeff Carlisle's with us for a few more minutes here
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  Speaker 2: on ESPN seven hundred, covering the men's national team for
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  Speaker 2: ESPN dot Com. You can read his piece from last
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  Speaker 2: night's matchup at ESPN dot com today. The guy that
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  Speaker 2: I've just enjoyed watching play and he's come into his
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  Speaker 2: own both for club and now for country, is Sloballigan.
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  Speaker 2: Got another goal last night. He's been terrific. He is
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  Speaker 2: a handful. He is a true striker, something that the
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  Speaker 2: United States at times over the last couple of decades
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  Speaker 2: has struggled to find. He feels like they've found that
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  Speaker 2: guy now and now they will not have him. He
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  Speaker 2: got the gold and he got the red card. Obviously
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  Speaker 2: upon further review, as we like to say, I think
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  Speaker 2: it was a bad decision. I think most people in
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  Speaker 2: the world of soccer admit that it was a bad decision.
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  Speaker 2: Var is not supposed to be using slow motion and
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  Speaker 2: still replays. They did that last night. The red has
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  Speaker 2: been issued. You're around it. Is there any chance of
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  Speaker 2: FIFA going back and saying you didn't use via properly
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  Speaker 2: and rescinding this, or is he done for Monday?
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  Speaker 3: I think he's done for Monday. You know, everything that
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  Speaker 3: I'm hearing out of the USSF is that the only
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  Speaker 3: way they would appeal is if it's a multi game suspension. Okay,
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  Speaker 3: you know, then they would then they would step in
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  Speaker 3: and say, okay, come on, he's already going to set
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  Speaker 3: out the next game. Making him sit out for you know,
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  Speaker 3: potentially another game. You know, that's too much, but I think,
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  Speaker 3: you know, the FIFA statues are pretty clear. You know,
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  Speaker 3: these decisions can not be reviewed or appealed, you know,
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  Speaker 3: just in terms of that the red card itself, and
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  Speaker 3: so you know, I think it's a really difficult situation
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  Speaker 3: for the US because, like you said, Baligant has been
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  Speaker 3: utterly fantastic. He's just as the way that he's finished,
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  Speaker 3: and I mean these have not been high priority, you know,
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  Speaker 3: high percentage chances. I mean, his expected goals is one
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  Speaker 3: point three. He's put three goals away, so you can
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  Speaker 3: see how he's outperforming you know, the expected goals. So
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  Speaker 3: and you know it's it's a huge loss, but it's
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  Speaker 3: going to be up to Haji, right, and I think
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  Speaker 3: Ricardo Peppi, you know, I think he's going to be
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  Speaker 3: the guy that's going to have to step in and
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  Speaker 3: pick up the slack. It's going to be a huge challenge.
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  Speaker 2: Poa Chattino has been very good about keeping people off
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  Speaker 2: balance with lineups. It would seem if you want to
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  Speaker 2: keep the same lineup, you do the like for life swap,
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  Speaker 2: you keep the Listic up top, you swap in Peppy.
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  Speaker 2: Although I will say as good as he was was
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  Speaker 2: in the Dutch League this year, I've not been wildly
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  Speaker 2: impressed with what I've seen from Peppy has a cre
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  Speaker 2: He had many chances. What what what's the expectation around
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  Speaker 2: the team, because he's been good for club, he's just
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  Speaker 2: been kind of math for country right.
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  Speaker 3: Now, Yeah, I would I would point back to the
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  Speaker 3: Senegal friendly right before the World Cup. Peppy started that match,
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  Speaker 3: and in that game I thought he linked up really
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  Speaker 3: well with Polisic. Uh. You know, he was checking back
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  Speaker 3: to the ball, getting you know, you know, spraying a
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  Speaker 3: pass the Polistic on the run in space, and so
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  Speaker 3: you know, I think, you know, that's something that that
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  Speaker 3: kind of gives me a little bit of hope because
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  Speaker 3: it seemed like the chemistry between those two was really
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  Speaker 3: excellent on that day. I mean, obviously it's tougher when
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  Speaker 3: you're coming off the bench, you know, and you're trying
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  Speaker 3: to get up to the speed of the game, and
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  Speaker 3: you know, obviously the circumstances are different. Usually you're trying
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  Speaker 3: to close the match out rather than than trying to
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  Speaker 3: get another goal. But you know, I think that link
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  Speaker 3: play by by Peppy. I think that's something that the
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  Speaker 3: US is going to try to emphasize. And yeah, I
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  Speaker 3: mean I I saw it work in that match, and
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  Speaker 3: you know, I think it can work again. You know,
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  Speaker 3: Belgium is gonna play a little bit more open than
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  Speaker 3: a Bosnia or in Australia or a Paraguay. So I
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  Speaker 3: think that's gonna help, you know, the US, cause as
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  Speaker 3: well as always the US team is very athletic, very mobile.
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  Speaker 3: You know, we'll see, you know, how Belgium is able
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  Speaker 3: to cope with that. You know, I think it's gonna
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  Speaker 3: pose an interesting challenge for the Belgians, let's just say that.
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  Speaker 3: And so you know, yeah, again Baligan is a huge loss,
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  Speaker 3: but you know, I think there's some ways that uh,
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  Speaker 3: Peppi's link play can be exploited and used by the
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  Speaker 3: US to pick up the.
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  Speaker 2: Slack so we we Love in sports talk radio and
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: in media to talk about legacy.
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  Speaker 1: Christian Polistic he is Captain America.
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  Speaker 2: He has been the face of US soccer for maybe
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  Speaker 2: not quite a decade, but pretty much coming up on it.
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  Speaker 2: He was the golden boy and anointed that way. He
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  Speaker 2: has been at times very good. But this is the
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  Speaker 2: biggest stage, and this is kind of his time with
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  Speaker 2: Balligan out in maybe the largest and biggest match he's
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  Speaker 2: ever played in, certainly for country. Is this the time
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  Speaker 2: for Christian Polisic to step up and kind of say, Okay,
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  Speaker 2: we've seen other stars, the others that are that are
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  Speaker 2: being promoted in commercials and the names we know step
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  Speaker 2: up in this World Cup is Monday night. Polisics time.
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  Speaker 3: Absolutely, but it's gonna have to be other players time too.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, he can't do it by himself. You know, Soccer,
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  Speaker 3: I think, is in many ways the ultimate team game. Uh.
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  Speaker 3: You know, there's so many moving parts on the field
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  Speaker 3: at any given time, and you know it's not like
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  Speaker 3: Politic is gonna dribble half the length of the field
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  Speaker 3: and be able to score a goal on his own.
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  Speaker 3: So you know it's gonna take You know, that midfield
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  Speaker 3: trio of Adams and Tilman and McKenny, you know they
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  Speaker 3: need to step up. Sergeno desk is gonna have to
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  Speaker 3: be a threat on the other wing. You know, he's
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  Speaker 3: very tricky, very creative, and so I think if those
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  Speaker 3: guys can step up, then that's going to bode well
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  Speaker 3: for Polisic. I mean, they have to play well for
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  Speaker 3: Polisic to play well.
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  Speaker 1: I think I would agree with you.
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  Speaker 2: And when I say step up, that doesn't necessarily mean
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  Speaker 2: have a brace, a hat trick, whatever it might be.
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  Speaker 2: But he, to me, he's the creative drive of this team,
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  Speaker 2: even when Battlegan's there. And so for me, he had
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  Speaker 2: that great first forty five minutes against Paraguay, and I
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  Speaker 2: know he's worked his way back. And I know that
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  Speaker 2: Bosnia plays a style that's hard to be wide open
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  Speaker 2: and creative. They lay in that back block and they
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  Speaker 2: get physical with you. I don't think Belgium is the
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  Speaker 2: same way. And to your point, I think it might
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  Speaker 2: be a match that we are able to see that
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  Speaker 2: athleticism in that creativity of a McKenny of a dest
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  Speaker 2: and certainly of a Polisic on display on Monday night.
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  Speaker 3: Absolutely, you know, don't forget the outside backs. I mean,
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  Speaker 3: Anthony Robinson and Alex Freeman have both been very good
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  Speaker 3: in this tournament. I think they picked their spots to
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  Speaker 3: go forward very astutely. Their timing I think has been impeccable.
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  Speaker 3: You know, I think we can still see more out
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  Speaker 3: of out of Anthony Robinson. I think he's got a
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  Speaker 3: little bit more to give on the attacking end, and
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  Speaker 3: I think this game against Belgium could could be a
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  Speaker 3: real opportunity for him to do that.
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  Speaker 2: The last time these two teams met in a World Cup,
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  Speaker 2: it was twelve years ago. It was the beginning of
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  Speaker 2: the Golden generation for Belgium. We're in the heart of
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  Speaker 2: kind of the golden generation for the United States. The
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  Speaker 2: Belgians are aging out, but still very good. You know,
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  Speaker 2: the Trussars, the the Doku's, the Tielman's, the Lucaku's, the Courtoise.
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  Speaker 2: There are different stages. The de bruynas what's your expectation
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  Speaker 2: based on what you've seen and how much do we
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  Speaker 2: read into the five to two decision back in March.
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  Speaker 3: I don't think you read anything into that game. I mean,
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  Speaker 3: certainly you can let me rephrase, it's a data point. Yes,
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  Speaker 3: I mean, Jeremy Doku was absolutely lethal in that game.
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  Speaker 3: The US did not know how to stop him. So
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  Speaker 3: I think that's going to give them, you know, a boost,
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  Speaker 3: just in terms of knowing, Okay, this didn't work. You know, here,
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  Speaker 3: here's some things that can work. And the US was
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  Speaker 3: missing some key players in that match. I mean, if
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  Speaker 3: memory serves no Tyler Adams, no Chris Richards, you know,
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  Speaker 3: and I think you had no Alex Rieman. I think
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  Speaker 3: on from the start, and so you know, I think
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  Speaker 3: this lineup, this preferred lineup that Maricent Poschettino has, it's
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  Speaker 3: the pieces just fit well together. And I think back
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  Speaker 3: in March, the process of creating that puzzle, examining it,
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: figuring out which pieces fit together, that was still going on.
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  Speaker 3: So you know, I think the US is in a
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  Speaker 3: very different place than it was back in March. And
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  Speaker 3: you know, I think they're gonna build them a much
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  Speaker 3: tougher game than we saw, you know, in that particular window.
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  Speaker 2: I thought Setegal's athleticism really bothered Belgium yesterday. Can the
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  Speaker 2: United States athleticism do the same thing.
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  Speaker 3: Absolutely, you know, I think especially in midfield, I mean certainly,
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  Speaker 3: uh Tressard and Tielman. I mean, those those guys are
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  Speaker 3: in the Premier League for a reason, and so you know,
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: they're they're very capable and you know, excellent players that
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: were able to step up in a big moment and
• 16:11
  Speaker 3: and be able to really rescue what was looking like
• 16:14
  Speaker 3: a dire situation for Belgium. So uh but I think,
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: you know, especially you know, again getting back to Anthony
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: Robinson and Alex Freeman, you know, those guys I think
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: can really trouble Belgium kind of in unexpected ways. I
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: mean you look at the US attack and you're thinking, okay,
• 16:32
  Speaker 3: politic and death and uh, you know McKenny, but I
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: think that those outside backs can really cause some unexpected
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: problems and give the US the element of surprise in
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: terms of when they get forward. So uh, you know,
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: I think that's going to be something to watch, and
• 16:48
  Speaker 3: you know, to get back to your original point, absolutely,
• 16:51
  Speaker 3: the US athleticism can cause them problems, and uh, I
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: think that's gonna be one of the more interesting matchups, uh,
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: you know, between the two teams.
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: On it's great to be a host country, great to
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: be a host team. Could the United States ask for
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: a better venue for Monday Night than Seattle?
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: Absolutely not. I mean obviously I was there for the
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: Australia game. I've been going to games there for years.
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: I mean I remember, you know, the Sounders winning the
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: CONCACUFT Champions Cup. I think it was three years ago now,
• 17:22
  Speaker 3: And the crowd support has always been amazing. You know.
• 17:27
  Speaker 3: I think the turf issue as well as the distance
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: has kind of worked against them in terms of not
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: hosting more US games. But this is just gonna be
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: a fantastic opportunity again for the city to show itself.
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: I mean it listen that that national anthem when they
• 17:46
  Speaker 3: when they sang it in Seattle, you know, for the
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: Australia game, I got goosebumps, and uh, you know, I
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: expect the crowd support to be you know, even a
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: notser too higher, if that's possible, but uh, just an
• 17:59
  Speaker 3: amazing venue, amazing city, and you know it's going to be,
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: you know, a situation where the US can have no excuses.
• 18:08
  Speaker 3: Everything is going to line up for them in terms
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: of the venue and in terms of just having that
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: crowd support and yeah, Balligan's missing, but you know it's
• 18:17
  Speaker 3: time for a guy like Peppy to step up. So
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: you know, there are a lot of things working in
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: the US's favor.
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: I would agree with that. Before I let you go,
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: it's Poachattino back.
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: Oh, I don't think so. You know, he again, he's
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: talked so much about loving the Premier League. You know,
• 18:39
  Speaker 3: there's there's been a lot of talk about the culture
• 18:42
  Speaker 3: of the game in this country, and you know, some
• 18:45
  Speaker 3: of the criticisms legit, but some of it is just
• 18:48
  Speaker 3: different and I think, you know, sometimes you just got
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: to accept that some things are are the way they
• 18:54
  Speaker 3: are and aren't going to be changed. Doesn't mean they
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: can't be improved, but you know, soccer in this country
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: is what it is. So I would love for him
• 19:04
  Speaker 3: to come back. I think he's done a fantastic job,
• 19:07
  Speaker 3: but I think his heart is in Europe, you know,
• 19:12
  Speaker 3: at the highest levels of the club game. But the
• 19:15
  Speaker 3: US stuff is gonna do everything they can to keep them.
• 19:17
  Speaker 3: I mean, they're not gonna just kind of throw up
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: their hands and give up. They're gonna they're gonna put
• 19:21
  Speaker 3: in every effort that they possibly can to keep put.
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: Your tune around. If he does leave, where do you
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: turn if you're US soccer.
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: Oh that's a good question. You know, do they splash
• 19:36
  Speaker 3: the cash again? You know, do they try to go
• 19:38
  Speaker 3: for you know, a Didier day Shamps, you know, do
• 19:43
  Speaker 3: they try to go for a Jurgen Klop You know,
• 19:47
  Speaker 3: I think you know, Klopp has got designed the Germany
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: job right at the moment, so I you know, I
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: think that's a super long shot. If I'm thinking American options,
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: I think Steve Trundelo would do a fantastic job. Obviously
• 20:01
  Speaker 3: he's been a player for the national team. I think
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: he's got enough coaching callouses, if you will, to you know,
• 20:08
  Speaker 3: to have the experience needed to be able to take
• 20:11
  Speaker 3: on that role. But you know, I think the USS
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: up is kind of enamored with the big name at
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: the moment, so you know, I think they probably go
• 20:18
  Speaker 3: down that route as opposed to hiring a domestic coach.
• 20:21
  Speaker 2: I think Torondolo's got also got the resume having played
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: overseas and obviously representing the country as well.
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: Wouldn't be a bad American option.
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: But hey, if you can splash the cash and get
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: somebody like a.
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: Dechal, that would be something.
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: But yeah, if you advance and get to the next
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: round and then end up getting beetle wherever you whoever
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: gets the job, the program is in the best position
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: I think it's probably ever been in for somebody. And
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: my last thing for you, Jeff, is is this the
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: best US soccer has ever been in from a talent standpoint,
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: from a vibe standpoint, from the country. You've covered this
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: nationally and in this for a long long time. Is
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: US Soccer ever been in a better position than they
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: are right now?
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: I'd have to say no. I mean, I think when
• 21:09
  Speaker 3: you add it all up, you know, I think the
• 21:11
  Speaker 3: resources behind the team are immense. I think the US
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: program has done a great job of recruiting duel nationals
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: but also developing talent, you know, within within the country itself.
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: So you know, I think there's a lot of there's
• 21:29
  Speaker 3: a lot of pipelines that have to be producing the
• 21:32
  Speaker 3: goods for an international soccer program, and I think all
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: of them are operating at or near their peak. And so,
• 21:40
  Speaker 3: you know, I think the good thing is that the
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: USSF is not going to rest on its laurels. I mean,
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: they know that they have a lot of work to
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: do to try to expand the net in which they
• 21:53
  Speaker 3: inspire players. You know, they're trying to make the game
• 21:56
  Speaker 3: more accessible. I mean, that's been a long time criticism
• 21:58
  Speaker 3: of the sport in this country. A legitimate one in
• 22:01
  Speaker 3: my opinion. I think too many kids are just priced
• 22:04
  Speaker 3: out of the game before they even get a chance
• 22:07
  Speaker 3: to go to an academy or or you know, a
• 22:10
  Speaker 3: high level club. So, you know, kudos to the US
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: for trying to address that. We'll see how effective it is,
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: though people have tried before and not been able to
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: make much headway. So it's a huge challenge. But you know,
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: I respect what the US and stuff is trying to
• 22:26
  Speaker 3: do and and again trying to expose more kids to
• 22:29
  Speaker 3: the game and really make us, you know, the top
• 22:32
  Speaker 3: sport in the US.
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: Jeff, thanks for coming on. It's great catching up with you.
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: Has always been too long. Safe travels to Seattle. Keep
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: reading your stuff, appreciate.
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: It, all right, All right, anytime, Bill, There you go.
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: Jeff Carlisle with us from ESPN dot com cover the
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: game last night in San Francisco, heading to Seattle.
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: It's Monday night.
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: The US men's national team in Belgium in the in
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: the quarterfinals or the round of sixteen as they like
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: to say, and it should be a lot of fun.