ALEXI LALAS: “LIVE” FROM QATAR!

you it's It's the same checklist every time. You want a close, competitive game, you want some nice plays to call for the viewers to enjoy, and you want no serious injuries from the players. That's the same every time. And I love my job, but there's something about stepping away from neutrality and just being a fan and being heavily emotionally invested. For me, there's just a few things.

At the top of the list is Colorado Avalanche hockey, Chelsea soccer, and of course the US national men's and women's soccer team when it comes to big international competitions like the World Cup. So I record this the morning after the US has been eliminated in the round of sixteen by the Netherlands a little deflated. It did happen during CFB Championship Saturday, when I was about to go on the air, so the disappointment was buffered. A day

later I could process it. It's a semi qualified success this World Cup in Qatar for the US. They lost to a superior team, but the way they lost poor defending lapses in marking was a little bit of a bummer, which is why I am so excited to say that

I've got Alexei Lallis as my guest now. Before I worked with Alexei covering the twenty ten World Cup in South Africa, and before he went on to success with Fox, Yes, Alexei was a great, proud, tough, passionate player for the U S national team, central defender who would score some strategic goals, usually with his head off that wild mane

of red hair for which he became globally known. So Alexei was good enough to come on board, share some old stories, evaluate the US performance, and at the end we look ahead to the next World Cup, of course, which the U S will co host with Canada and Mexico for years from now. He did this just before going on the set for Vox to set up the next round of games. So it's the shortest ever episode of this podcast, but it's jam packed with good info,

good stories, and great to connect with. Mail buddy Alexei lalas part of this podcast. By the way, it was hijacked by his colleague, my former colleague and my buddy Rob Stone. You'll get it when it happens. But in the meantime, UH storytelling an analysis with Alexei Lallas from Qatar. Alexei, I am grateful for your time, every minute of it, and Qatar is accounted for, so it's great to see

your smiling face in the afternoon their morning. Here we'll tell some stories, will wind the clock back, but I want to start with what is top of mind for US soccer fans, and that's your reaction to the World Cup Round of sixteen, you know, getting out of the group but following to the Netherlands. I want to ask you as an analyst, but first someone to ask you as a as a passionate fan of US soccer, as a former great who wore that shirt. So not what do you think about it, but what are you feeling

about it? So the day after elimination yeah, because there's there's two different you know process is there, right, So what I think and what I feel about it. You know what I feel about it is. Look, I've been around a long time, you know, from back in the nine back in the previous century, running around, and I've seen the growth of this sport, and so I feel proud, um, but I also feel that stuff was left on the table.

And I also feel, for lack of a better word, it always gets me worried that you know as well as I do, that people come into this soccer tent every four years and it's wonderful because we get a chance to spread the gospel. But you know, then they leave and the impression that they get is really really important because it leads to the credibility um and it ultimately leads to more popularization of the sport. And I hope that they saw a team that when we know

we all gravitated to it. But I hope that they saw a team like me that they can be be proud of. But we also know we're in the American culture and it's about winning. And while most of the things when it comes to America, we are number one, and when we are winners at you know, unlike our women's national team, our men's national team has not been there. And so I worry that people either leave the tent or go away from the tent for a little bit,

thinking that we haven't made progress. But we have made progress, and I think that this ultimately maybe the time will be looked at as a step forward. And it's not about moral victories. I I don't want that anymore. But this was a very young team. This is a team also with an eye. So that's that's partly in my head, you know, and that's how I how I feel about it,

you know how I think about it. You know, I'd give Gregg Berhalter in this team a B solid B B plus in terms of what they did going undefeated in group stage and you know, a very difficult group, playing really well against England. They just picked the worst possible moment to have a stinker of a game against Holland, and still it was there. There was a gift and we didn't bite the hand, uh and take it right

out of that that Dutch hand. And you know, the Dutch are a good team and they all they needed is a couple of chances the ruthlessness that you saw of the Dutch is something that this team hopefully will develop over the next four years. Yeah, that's all. Well put what's tough among other things for US sports fans of crass but soccer is this sort of like not knowing how to react about it? Is round of sixteen good enough? Well? I mean I think the players felt

like there was more. You felt like there was more, you know, perhaps, And this is this is the story of the World Cup for so many nations, the what ifs, would shoulda could have? Had you beaten Wales, had you won the group, you don't play Holland in the round sixteen, you have an easier match. I think it would have been Senegal, right, so, but but they didn't take those chances. They didn't win the group, and they made it hard.

And it seems like US soccer only knows one way, and it's the hard way, right, And it's been that way since Europe Layer. Yeah, it's you know, it's this weird, purgatory type of place that we we inhabit right now because yeah, we got out of the group. Well service First off, qualifying for a men's World Cup is nothing new. We have done that That's why it was such a you know, a massive failure four years ago, but it

was kind of an anomaly. And so you get back to the World Cup and you know, we we were happy to get back to the World Cup, but it's something that we've done. Getting out of the group is also something that we have done consistently, um, but getting out of that round of sixteen, we've only done that once, back into in two thousand and two where we were

then we went on which was which was wonderful. And so you're in this moment where you look back at history and said, well, we had done better in previous World Cups, and yet are we more advanced? I mean, just within this cycle. I think that it's night and day when it comes to how far this group has come from that incredible failure of not qualifying for the two thousand and eighteen World Cup, and it certainly bodes

well for the future. But I think where you know, a little hesitation is from from me and others is too. I mean, it's not an a type of effort because you didn't find a way to win that game, and that was a winnable game against the Dutch, and you know they finished their chances. The United States didn't finish their chances and doing things that we have done as

a soccer play nation for a while. And they're not And I said it on air, these aren't these involved type of uh soccer tactics that take decades and decades to figure out. You follow your men in the box. I mean, it doesn't matter whether you watch soccer or not. That's a problem marking men in sports, marking your opponent

in sports, that's you know, that's a constant anywhere. So that was a little bit disappointing, and not that we lost, but kind of how we last exactly As a defender and and as an analyst, when you and you have three goals conceded and each time the defenses looking around at each other like what happened? Where were you? I mean that that does not look good. And I think that you're right. It was a bad time to follow asleep against an opponent unlike some of those in the

group stage who can really hurt you. And they made us pay, and we made Holland look better than they are. Perhaps who knows, maybe they'll go on and make a run. I know you've fancied them a little bit as as a contending team. But that's the one thing is at the end of the day, um, you know you're not gonna get many chances, you have to grab them. We didn't early. But but when you look at the result of a goal and the team was looking around each other like, wait a minute, we broke down that that's

what was a little deflating to see. Yeah, and it's it's you know, it's wide open men in the box and clear cut chances and and again you know there there are coaches out there, youth coaches, anybody that's coached long enough. You talk about being able to watch your being able to see the ball and being able to see the man. These are fundamental, basic type of principles of soccer. And so I think that's you know, that's

where where it's disappointing. Having said all of that, you know that it was you know, we've we've seen this before in World Cups, where you know, people come together and as you know, especially in this day and age, very little brings us together as a nation. And to see these, you know, people in their classrooms because this is the World Cup where it was actually happening during school,

which is something that was unique. So to see the classrooms and the and the cool teachers and the cool schools that kind of embraced it and used it even as lesson plans than all that kind of stuff. And everybody's screaming and young people in airplanes and obviously the bars and the fan fests and all that. That was

pretty cool to just see that happen. And sometimes you're in kind of this this bubble of a World Cup, and now with this technology age that we live in, we can see what's happening back home, and um, you know, I don't have fow move to, you know, because I get to do the best job in the world here. But it was kind of cool to see all of these people celebrating this game back in a country and culture that you know, we're constantly pushing that boulder up the hill and it you know, it made my old

stock heart very very happy to see that happening. Absolutely, I agree, and I can say it from this set of the Atlantic, the energy was there. And roll Lett's remember too, it's not easy to progress in the World Cup. We have one reaction, but but for Germany, for Belgium, from Mexico, it's an unqualified disaster to be stopped in

group stage. I talk about it in college football. You know, if if people want a comparison, Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma not winning their division, not winning their conference, not contending it, and and that is different because it happens every four years. And Germany have struggled. So we did something those soccer powers and much more talented teams didn't do. So yeah, sixteen teams went home. And you know, look, we've I've

watched Olympics, I've worked Olympics. You you know, you've you've seen it and worked it. And you know, sometimes when you see these sports like where it comes down to you know, ten seconds is the entire you know, synopsis and uh and career and you're judged on you It blows your mind sometimes to see that. Obviously soccer is a little longer in terms of a game, but it but it still does come down two minutes And is it right? Is it fair to judge athletes just on

those moments? It doesn't matter, you know, Soccer isn't fair. In life isn't fair. This is the way the way that it is. And ultimately Greg Berhalter is the coach knows this, and these players know that this can be defining and that we left a little bit on the table just means that we have, you know, still still some ways to go. But you know, as the saying goes, you've come a long way, baby, and soccer certainly has.

And this isn't me being Pollyanna, This isn't me asking for blind faith out there when it comes to our soccer teams or just our soccer in general. It's just maybe some perspective that I've gotten over the years and seeing how, you know, how the game has played, how the game is coached, I mean, how even how it's how it's broadcast, and how that has evolved, you know, and the world over here in this incredible set for Fox over here, and you know we've seen over the

years how it's been that broadcast. Then bringing it to you know, a country and culture that's really really unique because it's not just about the U. S team. It's about all of these different teams and are melting pot that is the United States in the United States and all this incredible diversity that we have, you know, giving people their teams and it's not always the the US team,

but ultimately giving them a steady diet of soccer. And you know, as you mentioned, I still got another two weeks here and and we've been through this where the home team goes out and right, and there's this deflating of the balloon, right, but you gotta pick it up. And as pros were right back in here today and hell, you know we got we got France and Embobe here

that I get to call. So I'm incredibly fortunate privilege to be able to do this messy still in the tournament where and all of that still in the tournament. It just goes on and on and on. And if you really if you got excited about the US team playing soccer in the World Cup, there's plenty more you will fall in love with this game. And there's plenty more as this World Cup goes on, and you know

is coming to and that's gonna be a fun. That's gonna be a fun and you're both on and off the field for what it means for soccer in the United States and to to to a certain stent in Canada and Mexico. We'll circle back, I want to finish with that as we look ahead to the next World Cup. But let's spend back. You and I sat next to each other in Pretoria, South Africa, for a situation somewhat similar to the U. S Iran game. They had to be at Algeria to go through, to not go through.

It had been a disaster. Algeria a very beautiful opponent, but it wasn't happening, and they had had chances, Us had had chances. And we're sitting there in this not a very glamorous stadium, kind of an old stadium, not one of the show place venues in South Africa, and we are preparing for a post mortem. Right It's the last game in the group stage. If they don't get the win, they go home. It's gonna be crushing. I can feel the emotion from you next to me. I

didn't play, but obviously I'm emotionally invested. And all of a sudden, that that goal that landed Donovan scores. He had Andreas Cantor as a guest in the podcast. He talked about calling it in Spanish. I've talked to, obviously, lots of folks who have experience, and you said ten seconds, and that was a ten seconds change the World Cup, change,

the life of Donovan and so many other players. But but that emotional ride, we we were we were deflated, depressed, and then there were literally tears of joy I think from you after Donovan scot and we won the group. It was nuts, it was not And you know, listen, I had so much fun, you know, working with you and others, and I learned so much from you. And obviously I've I've continued on and and you know, being with Fox and working World Cups, Men's and women's and

stuff like that. But you know, TV is something that I have been so fortunate to come into and to learn from the likes of you and and other greats, whether it was ESPN and at Fox, and continue on and to see you guys work and to understand what goes on and how the sausage is made. Um, it was incredibly changing in terms of the way that I

did did my job. And then you know, to be talking about a game that I love at at a World Cup in these incredible moments, and to experience that emotion now not as a player, but talking about it and you know, hopefully being able to in a you know, a to be able to articulate and to be able to tell the story in in you know, hopefully an interesting and entertaining type of way. Um. You know, talk

about coming a long way. I've come along a long way since then, but a lot of the foundation that I still use today with stuff that I learned with you and others and others there. It literally changed the way that I that I do my job because I

understood how it was done. But you never you never lose that love and that, you know, the beauty that comes from the game, the passion that you have, the emotion that comes out, and and it's you can't control it con apologize for one second about having the wrong emotion.

Fans look to you for that. That's a moment where they could say, Alexei Lallas, I remember him playing, but he's one of us too, because you're allowed to care in the World Cup and that kind of a moment, Alexei, where we weren't calling it, We're just watching it and then getting ready to react to it. But that kind of a thing where where careers change on a dime because at one ball put in the net just in the nick of time, and I thought that was a

beautiful woman. I've talked about that where you know, hey, it's okay to get choked up. Yeah, we have to have some distance, and you've become this wise stage, you know, delivering perspective. It only comes over time. I think that's that's sort of your your role in a in a knee jerk, no context reaction, short attention span world, that's what you're there to sort of counter, I think, in your role. But in that moment in ship, I mean that we were prepared to do a post mortem and

it was a celebration that was fun. And don't don't never lose the rawness and the heart that you bring to it. Man, I am preciate. I can't. I mean, even if I tried, I couldn't. I I couldn't do it. And and sometimes you know when when all the crap is flying around and you know you're you're incredible at being able to still get the job done with all the craziness sometimes that live sports bring. And that's why I know you love live sports. I love live sports,

and there's there's nothing like it. And it is becoming actually more and more unique and valuable as we go on in this in this world that seems to be packaged to end and already kind of predestined live sports are where it's at because you don't know what is going to happen, and you need people like yourself to be able to steer the ship and make sure that people stay on course, but also, like you said, to recognize the emotion, recognize the moment and what the moment needs,

and to to paint a picture. And you know, ultimately, you know, you're you're an artist in your own right in the way that you do things. And I like to think we're all kind of painting this picture. Sometimes it's a better picture than other pictures, and sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don't, But you know, we are living it, and the people are watching us living it, and we are for the time being, they're still using human beings, and as long as they do, you know,

we're gonna have emotion and passion involved in what we do. Yeah, I mean, technology calls off size, but humans will always describe the action on the field. Yeah, you're very kind. I mean, I learned so much from you and from this collection of global rock stars that we assembled in

South Africa and other World Cups. But I think that's where we kind of first brought ESPN resources to Bear, and then you had Rude Hullett, and you had Steve McManaman, and you had Jurgen Klinsman, and you had Roberto Martinez a lot of soccer brain power. But all these nations represented. All these dudes were, you know, multi millionaires who had global brands because of their success on the field. You're representing America to an American audience. But but in the

global game, what was that like? You know, sitting there with with that collection of personalities who, by the way, did their job all day and night and then went out and enjoyed South Africa as only they could. I mean, for me, that was like a life changing moment. Incredibly proud to be the host of that coverage. I will always put that very very near the top of the resume. But what was that like for you to sit in that desk with that characaustic here and then go off

go off into the night with them to right? Yeah, I mean, it's it's so much fun because obviously you see these players and they are acts players and what they have done on the field, and you associate moments

in your life. Sometimes you might have played against them or idolized them growing up and watched them, and then you you get to know them as people and obviously as colleagues working, and there is a great equalization process process that happens because while you might have the cachet of what you've done on the field, ultimately now you're in the TV world and you've got to bring it again and to see how some do and some don't,

and some like it, some dope, some don't. I mean, look, I am so fortunate to be able to do what I do. I get you know, players sometimes asked me about it all the time, and I said, listen, if you can find a jumping off point, um, great, because your career might not end when you want it. But I'm so fortunate because I've found something that excites me as much and even in certain ways even more jacks me up than playing. In terms of television, it's not

for every some people. You know, it's easy from the couch, we all, we all know that. But when you when you find something like that, you hold onto it and you know they can pry it from my cold dead hands. And listen, they're coming, all the young and are coming

right now. But to be able to work with all of these legends and understand how they think about the game and to get their insight, especially when they're good on television, because it's one thing to be good in the bar, it's another thing actually be good on television. That's awesome. That's us. And now we have more and more,

especially of these American legends. You know, here a Fox, I'm working with Landon Donovan and Contempse and Reesa do and these types of players that have been there and done. You know, we were just talking about the Landon Donovan moment that is iconic, and now I'm sitting next to him and he's talking about what he sees on the field, and so it's it's wonderful that, you know, I'm kind of the the old guy, the old I don't know if I'm a sage or anything, but I'm the old guy.

But to see it happen. And then the international aspect of the game that I know you love and I love because you know, it's there're very few sports out there that have this international aspect of it. Tennis maybe to us certain extent um, but it means that you have all these different you know, countries and cultures coming together and sometimes that is reflected in the broadcast that you do um, and it's cool. It's cool to see

how they think about the game. It's also a wonderful moment when they experienced American television for the first time and the reality says, you know, and you you see the wheels starting to spin as they figure out, Wow, I'm not in Kansas anymore. And this is maybe a very very different type of broadcast, daily schedule and performance that I'm used to, and and broadcast executive behavior some of the guys. I don't think we're used to the intensity of some of the cast of characters we had.

You know, you mentioned the global nature. I hope fans listening and fans who watch on their couch in this country do get a chance to go abroad and experience, whether it's a US game or a World Cup or Champions League final, or or a Premier League game or something where you see culture is coming together and this

shared language of soccer. It's been said it's somewhat trite in my ends of some people, but it's so real and I get chills thinking about the moments around the world where where you're in a bar in the northern part of Chile, you know, watching them play Argentina. There's so many examples of that, and it's such a beautiful, you know, menu of experiences to have that people open themselves up. And I'm glad you talked about the global nature of it because that that is so rich and

it's so unique. Yes, there's tennis, but that's not the same as an individual sport versus watching your country out there running around. I mean, look, I always tell the story of when I was a kid. I used to go out and I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, grew up with you know, slurprites and MTV and you know, going to see rats played down at the Kobol Hall

or Joe Louis Arena or whatever. And you know, I would go out when I was a kid and I would jug on my ball on my sidewalk in front of my house here in suburban Detroit, and it always, you know, it wasn't lost on me. You've been a young age that there's a kid on the other side of the world that I have absolutely nothing in common with sept this game. And that always fascinated me because look,

I grew up in all the different sports. I was huge I actually played more hockey growing up in soccer, and it's the law and Detroit obviously in in Michigan, but the fact that this was an international game that really really appealed to me. Look, I I am incredibly uh you know, privileged and happening fortunate to come from what I feel is the greatest country in the world, in the United States. But I also recognized that, you know, we are citizens of the world and that world play

soccer and that connection that this game brings. I think it's it's wonderful from an international perspective, but it's also domestically. You know, when people gravitate towards this team and towards this tournament and towards this sport, a lot of times it's that there's this feeling that we are connected, we are something bigger than just the United States, and not all our sports are able to do that, and maybe this is the unique sport that is able to able

to do that. And it doesn't mean you have any less uh pride or affinity for the country or your phone. As a matter of fact, you can celebrate that country within the context of this game that the rest of the world is also celebrating. I hope people listening will understand that before they were watching you on TV, you were running around playing and it was more than just the red hair and the beard. I mean, I want to ask you what it felt like, Alexei to wear

the U S shirt. You're talking about the background you came from, your your love of soccer at a young age. But to get to the pinnacle of soccer in the U S and to wear that shirt and to score a goal against Argentina in a win in Copa America, to score a goal against England and a victory at International and then to put on those crazy stonewashed blue denim looking stars and stripes kits in nten ninety four, controversial to this day, loved by some, reviled by many.

But to put that shirt on and you want to say Hi, Chris Bowler, Rob Stone, Oh my goodness, Rob Stone is stunner. I wish people can't see this who are listening, But Robson has jumped into the front one. What this one is? Yeah, they're they're clean, they're clean. What's going on? And you're sharing earbuds over in Qatar? That is that is team love, Lily. He just asked me about the denim kip back in the nineteen hundreds,

it was it was incredible. Yes, so yeah, I was running around with a whole lot more hair back then. It was. It was wonderful. But we've come a long, long long way. Working Are we doing something? We're doing a podcast? Thank you for a podcast? Pod pod what? Yes? They It doesn't even there's no real real tape the way you used to do back and when you are ready ESPN, you know, running tapes all over the place. It isn't even involved. It's a it's a fledgling thing.

Just a few of us have these podcasts. It's just starting out. But but yeah, thanks for jumping people tops and eleven people you know, I mean, and just they just communicate back and forth. The people want to download. It's cold downloading download automatically like Napster down like Napster. The automatically appears on their the mobile phones, not that the rotary phones that we're talking about. That are you guys? Are you guys punchy already? I sent some punchiness from

working together whatever. You're already in a sixteen? How come I wasn't invited to this? Why you gotta go with the big time. You didn't you didn't return my text, Rob, Yeah, all right, right, Chris Fowler and I go way wait, give a story before I'm gonna give you this. This guy's family raised Golden Retrievers, and I got a beautiful Golden Retriever of puppy that I gave to my mom because, um, we had two previous Golden's who were not doing well.

And so this dog, this dog we named Higgins, um gotten from the Stone family, bravely put in a little cage and flew in a plane from Connecticut to Colorado. Gave my mom years of joy. Was there her companion. She began to struggle with Alzheimer's and but helped the quality of her life. So thank you to Robin the Stone family for the gift of a Golden Retriever. You didn't expect that in our kitchen, beautiful beautiful Golden retriever. So has has LEXI tried tend on Prime Time heading

the Boder Yet we haven't. We haven't talked about that piece of college football news, and I'm not sure we will. But I went on the Horny Frog. So the Horny Frog. This thing, it's unbelievable. It's like I'm talking to a guy who played at Newcastle and has no idea what universities are. And you want the Rutgers University for crying a Big ten. The Rutgers are in the Big ten conference. They they got us for our education, not our football, evidently. But I love you, but you've give them the ear

bed we got. We gotta get back to sucker a little bit here. What I'm doing, I gotta I gotta go work here. He's been telling me your time is precious, man, keep it doing your You're an awesome job. I'm allowed to say I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you. All right, I got, I got, I got two minutes, I got two minutes really big, you know what that's got. I'm gonna don't worry. I'm gonna watch this thing off.

Don't you worry? All right? But the feeling of wearing the shirt, even though the shirt was funky and representing your country, and you know, back in the day they would have called it building a brand, but you were just doing what I did with exuberance and energy, and the look didn't hurt either. But man, to take me back to that that feeling of reap in your country. Yeah, never has so much been done with a modicum of talent and uh, you know, a lot of hair and

a goatee and a guitar. Um. Look to your point, I grew up in the eighties and I grew up watching you know, MTV, and you know, the um the aesthetic was very, very important, and I incorporated that into I mean, I've always considered myself an entertainer. You know, you you rehearse, which is basically practiced, right, you take it out on stage, which is basically the field. You go in front of an audience, which is basically the crowd. You put on a costume which is your uniform, and

then you perform. And you want that type of interaction. You want to be seen, You want to be noticed, and you want to do whatever act it is that you do to the best of the best of your ability. But you add the the other part of it, which is, you know, the opportunity to represents your country, and it

is it is not lost on me. Um. You know how few of us get that opportunity and incredible privilege And there is nothing like putting on that jersey, walking out on that field, putting your hand over your heart and singing that national anthem and hearing the reaction from the people, and you know, the score at a certain point doesn't matter um to a certain extent, because you are representing everything that we hold dear as a country

on the international stage. And I'll never forget that. I never took it for granted so many times that that I did it. If I could continue to do it, I would. And it still gets me each and every time when I see, you know, these young men and the his own women go out there and represent our country and within that Then to your point, I think we talked about it earlier, the potential for their lives

to change. I mean, I'm sitting here in Dohak guitar talking to Chris Fowler here on on zoom because of the World Cups. It changed my life forever. I lived the power of what a World Cup continue to an individual. My life was never the same. And I love that I'm, you know, talking about the World Cups now and that there are players that in this World Cup, there will be players in the World Cup in the US where

their life is going to change. It's a it's a wonderful and amazing thing, and very few of us get that opportunity. You talked about sports competition as performance, and just the same way that another dear friend and colleague, John mckinnur talks about it. He always felt like being on the court was like performing, And like you, he's a musician. His passion I think for music is almost as strong as it is for tennis. And he views it the same way, and and it makes me wonder though.

But you, you're perhaps being too modest. Although some of your fame and notoriety came from the look these long flowing red locks in the beard, there was the quality of your play there, the intensity that you brought, the physicality that you brought to it. You're not sitting here telling me that if you'd had a red crew cut and no beer, that you wouldn't have been Uh one of the stories of the night before World Cup in

your life would have change? Would you? No? I mean, I'd like to think that I had a little uh skill and ability when in talent when it comes to the actual playing of the game. But you know, the the package is important, and just because you recognize it, you know when I when I say that I'm an entertainer sometimes, you know, that's not a pejorative, that is an actual understanding of the theater that this that sports is and can be. And I know sometimes people cringe

at that, but I leaned into it. I recognized it. And in no way did that mean that anything that I did, or the thing is that I wore, the way that I looked was was not authentic or credible or honest. I was incredibly comfortable in this costume and in this persona and in this brand that I was creating, and it, uh, you know, it worked for me. Yeah. I think that some people do get offended when they view it as as as theater or entertainment, and that's

it's nonsense. I mean, you the more year around it, more you understand, Yes, it doesn't. You should not get in the way of being a team guy, of competing, of trying to be ahead in the scoreboard. But it never did for you. And I think you recognize before a lot of people that hey, you know, whether it's just you know, being yourself or being yourself times x, or you know, building a brand, whatever it is, it worked for you beautifully and it continues too. So no,

don't ever apologize for that. UM is gonna wrap it up. I gotta go to work, my man. People, last thing, I know your time is valuable. UM. It's our shortest episode ever, but I'm very very gratefully making time spin ahead. We we talked briefly about the World Cup, which the U S will co host with Canada and Mexico, not just for the U S team, but what it's going to be like to have the World Cup back on US soil and a very different climate than the last

time that we hosted it hopefully. Yeah. I mean, look, this is a wonderful ramp rate up to this incredible platform, uh, to help change the sport and again move it forward. UH. And it is a very very different scene than it was back in the Women's World Cup, two very seminal moments in terms of the perception of the sport. And so the world is coming back to a U S. And like we said of Canada and Mexico, that has

fundamentally changed. The United States is a soccer nation. Okay, we don't have to apologize, UM, you know, we we can shed our insecurities and our inferiority complexes when it comes to what we are, and you know, we have a supporters culture, we have a knowledge you know, I think the American soccer fan is as knowledgeable and maybe more knowledgeable than others, just out of necessity. And it's

all coming back to the United States. And keep in mind, the Night four World Cup was the most successful World Cup ever in terms of crowds, in terms of the money that it generated. And this is gonna blow it out of the water in twenty six and it's gonna be it's gonna be wonderful. Because look, I'll leave you

with this story. So back in weeks before the World Cup, I got on a plane and I sat in the middle seat because that's what we did, right, And I had in my US pullo on and I sat down next to an older woman and she turned to me said what she said, what do you do? I said, to play soccer. She said, well, what's your job? I said about play soccer, And she said, what do you do for money? I said, I play soccer. And two weeks later, I'm in front of a billion people at

the World Cup. Now that lady might have seen it a couple of weeks later, but the reality is that it's a whole generation that has grown up with soccer is part of their sports palt and that's wonderful and that's progress, that's evolution. And so this World Cup is coming back in twenty six. It's gonna be bigger and better than anything that we've seen. But it's coming back to a US that is a soccer nation and has plenty of culture, um and plenty of plenty of them

ocean and passion for this game. It's unique. It's American, as I said, never ever apologize for that, whether you don't ever apologize for calling it soccer or or any of the other stuff that we yell and scream about it. It's our own version of soccer. But it's a it's the game obviously, it's played around the world, and we're going to invite everybody into that tent once again, and hopefully that ten's just gonna get bigger and bigger, and hopefully a US team that will not be the youngest

of the World Cup in four years. These players can learn and grow from the experience playing abroad and and certainly building that enthusiasm and in that World Cup. Alexie, I think you joined me around a six team, won't be good enough. Not in four years, not with more development. I think they're gonna be higher expectations and hopefully higher level of performance from the home team. When that happens,

we should expect more from our home team. We should expect more from these young players that have been given every opportunity and resources halfway and with that comes to higher expectations, and I think that they can live up to it. This is a team that believes that they are destined for greater things. And that's good. I mean, whether that sports or anything. You want more for your I guess children that I can call them, but they

are really you know. I mean, we took it as far as we could, and this is a new generation that believes that they can do great things and much better things than we ever did. And that's progress, and that's all that I ever wanted. All right, get back to our keep up the great job. I'll be watching him. Very grateful for your time for Squeeze and gets in from Qatar and sharing some old stories and bringing back some very nice memories for me. Appreciate Alexei. You're the best,

my friend. Thank you so much, And just like that, away Alexei went. We stopped the recording. I turned on the TV a few minutes later and there he was on the set with the team talking about France versus Poland. So I'm very grateful for his time. This episode obviously was a sprint, but his schedule is so busy. Covering a World Cup is just about unlike anything else in TV sports. He were in the same hotel room for about forty days and he has got a ways to go.

December eighteen is the World Cup final. Next time we've got the season five finale episode. I'm so excited about this. It's a year in the making. James Clear author of the global bestseller Atomic Habits, and he is such a smart guy. James is really in the forefront of self improvement, developing good habits, kicking bad habits, becoming more productive, doing

more with less time, and a lot more so. Whether or not you've read Atomic Habits, and I recommend that you do, you'll get a lot out of this episode. Our season five finale is coming up. As always, deeply grateful for my co executive producer Jennifer Dempster and for Octagon for editing the episode. We'll talk to you soon for the season finale,