It's a new week of sdh AM.
Here, John here, you there.
Let me change a quick design piece here so we can actually see branding. No, no, not, wasn't it? It was this one that's the one. All right, there we go, John, here you there. It's another week of sdh AM Soccer's morning show. And today, well we'll kind of catch up over the weekend. There's a lot of morning news, especially going on overseas in England, with coaches shifting and players shifting and stuff like that that we'll get into. We know a champion chip game from a couple of semi
finals that happened this weekend. We'll kind of track it and let you know what it's going to look like. Two teams in Florida playing for a championship in one of the women's leagues. We'll have your defining moments from those matchups coming up here in our number one. Obviously here at our number one, we'll catch up with Abe Gordon. Abe is multitasking, so you have if you have multiple devices going on right now, you might be hearing Abe doing more than one thing. So Abe is on tape.
We caught up with Abe. We'll play him here in just a little bit, get you ready. As a bat's lead off on Mondays, Ricky's already jacked up and excited about the contract renewal of a particular individual at Al Nasser, So Ricky's in this morning very very early with what's going on there Nations League. We do have some fun math involving our friends from San Marino and qualification for the World Cup, which we think was rather unique and interesting,
and so there's irony that's attached to that. If you caught up with morning Espresso, you know that there are coaching changes going on and coaching desires that might be happening. So, like I said, there's a lot going on in the news department. Abes is more philosophical or we get you ready for what's going to be going down on Thursday.
We'll see if we can catch up with our buddy Glenn Crooks between now and then and give the NYCFC version of preparation for a match up Thursday night in the Bronx on ninety two nine in the Game of the Odyssey app as everybody tries to race back from national team duty, where you've seen a lot of folks for at Land United score goals and be active regardless of what level they are when it comes to it. Landy United, So we'll see what happens there once again,
is the race is on. You have one more match in the international window, mostly tomorrow. Some of them are on on tonight, some of them tonight, most of them tomorrow. Planes are going to be caught on Wednesday trying to figure out, Okay, who do I have, how many minutes?
Where can I put you?
Those kinds of things for Ronnie DLAs Atlanta United gets ready for the second half of the season, first matchup in the Bronx against NYCFC our number two obviously, Bart Kieler from the Soccer for US pod, where we will discuss what happened over the weekend. We'll hear from Mauricio Pochettino as we lead into Bart, and we'll let you know what's on Bart's mind. Where the US men's national team had won the league till they didn't end up losing two to one in East Hartford to Turque, and
we'll see what Bart's thoughts are. The sky is falling from all the feedback that he has been getting. There has been a bit of a back and forth involving folks who are mad about who is in who is not in, and we did get in to that with Bart. Leading into the weekend, we'll see how opinions I've either altered, changed or been reinforced with what happened with who wasn't around for the US men's national team in their matchup against Turkey as they get ready for the matchup tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, in Nashville, we'll hear from our friend Lucas Panzica, who along with Jamie Watson, is going to be calling the matchup on Westwood One. Lucas will be batting lead off tomorrow, so we'll catch up with Lucas. We'll try and track down Jamie and see if we can catch up with Jamie about it too, but we'll get their thoughts about everything leading into the matchup. So Lucas Panzica is going to be calling the match for
Westwood one. We'll catch up with him bat and lead off tomorrow as they get ready for the US playing at g Otis and so that'll be a really cool catch up there on Tuesday for US here at Sdham. So that's the rundown and starting at ten thirty, so in an hour hour and twenty minutes from now, An hour and twenty minutes from now. It is a moment at Mercedes been Stadium that folks have been waiting for
for a while. You're gonna get conversion from turf to grass starting at ten thirty, or at least that's when they let the media in. So if I'm not mistaken, I think Jason and our Caroline Hood are there and we'll see if there's anything going on at ten thirty with the conversion of the grass. The surface at Mercedes bends to grass for the Club World Cup, so I know that Jason will be in inside the walls for that as we'll see if there's anything going on, maybe Jason.
Maybe we'll see Jason rolling the grass out as a part of it. So we'll see what happens. But grass conversion starts at least for the media at ten thirty, so we'll have that in coming up in the final half hour of the show as well. So once again Abe Gordon coming up on tape here in just a little bit. Bart Keeler joining us from the soccer for USPOD at the top of our number two to talk
about the men's national team and all the things. We've got all the news in between, coaches that are shifting from one team to another, players shifting from one team to another, all the news that happened this past weekend and all of the things. So let's say hi to everybody before we get into Abe Gordon. This morning in ninety two nine in the game and the Odyssey app So let's see Morning Ricky, Morning Abby, Morning David. And those are the early returns, and so let's see. So
Ricky is quite pleased. I know this will shock you with what went down with Christiano Ronaldo at the age of two hundred and twenty seven getting a nation's league title for Portugal, and Ricky's like, I wish you wouldn't have renewed, Morning Abby, And I'm thinking that everybody is gassed up in there volunteerism and getting ready for Club World, Coppage and all that kind of stuff. Morning David, David's in start. Ricky starts his training on Wednesday, so we'll
see what happens there. David last day of Live Watch until he returns from the annual Ohio Michigan family trip.
So all right, so David, how does that work?
Are you allowed to mention the state up north when you're in Ohio, and then do you mention the state the state down south when.
You're in Michigan. Is that how that works?
I didn't I don't know where family allegiances are when it comes to college football, and I didn't know if it was the state up north in the state down south, depending on where you are in your summer travels. Oh, okay, so so it is? So it is the the So if your wife's a Michigan fan, as David lets us know, and so David's wife is a Michigan fan, So how does she respond when you're in Ohio? Is it just something that has to be endured? I cannot believe family's
Ohio state wife is a Michigan fan. Lots of lip biting. Okay, I wish you nothing, Yes, I very carefully, very carefully worded and progressed through. I wish you nothing but the speed from your from your God, sir. Uh, just get through it, get through it in one piece.
And uh.
Abby's letting us know that she is halfway through her shifts. He gets her full uniform tonight. And Abby's letting us Snowfief is very disorganized, not necessarily something that you know, I think that that's probably a prevailing opinion across the board.
But we'll see what we'll see what else is going on as we go.
So once again, Abe Gordon coming up here in just a little bit, and then it'll be uh, our buddy Bart Keeler let us know about anything and everything that he saw from the weekend involving the US men's national team. Like I said, we're gonna go very very gonna do a three dimensional kind of a thing with Bart because of where we are. You had folks that were sitting at desks who were yelling about folks that were not available for friendlies. You had folks in postmatch interviews that
were somewhat pointed. But we'll get into that. We'll get into what happened with the US. We'll get you ready for the matchup tomorrow. David Wow response very carefully. Nephew used to offer to change my kids diapers and throw them in Ohio State papy apparel.
Yeah, I could see that. I could see that.
Yeah, because part of the posse here at sdh Over on the college football side is a Youngstown born and bred TOSU fan, and so we get all of the Connor Stallion stuff and all of that. So for those of you when it comes to college football, OSG sports side of things for the Review every single week during the college football season, and we carry it through basketball too.
So now it's up. But no, trust me, I understand. I understand. All right. So I guess that was pretty much opening kickoff.
Oh man, Uh yeah, we'll do it that way because, like I said, we got highlights coming up on the other side of Abe Gordon for a championship game in USL USL Super Zigue and so we'll get into that coming up in just a little bit.
So, uh, here's all your promos once again.
You can start your day with our friends at Kickoff Coffee and Kickoff Coffeeco dot com. There's your QR code for those of you hanging out with us. However you are hanging out with us large device are small. You kick off your day there with our friends at Kickoff Coffee and Kickoff Coffeeco dot com. And then you can buy out the entire store, which we do encourage by the way. Then what you do after you have bought out the entire store at checkout use the code soccer
down here. Fifteen because then you get fifteen percent off your purchase. Then they in turn take ten percent. Our friend Melissa Ortiz and all the friends at Kickoff Coffee take ten percent reinvested in the youth games, youth initiatives brought to aspire friends at Kickoff Coffee and Kickoff Coffeeco dot com. Okay, let's run through all the promos really quickly. Once again, you can go to Soccer down here dot net you can get your shopping done.
I don't think you can get these. This is the retro.
Literally, I've had this I think since day one when this went on the market. That's how durable and soft this is. But the new logo stuff is available at SDH Soccer down here dot net. You can get all the stuff there, and you can also get stuff from the Attack and the Ruckets that Jason has retrified, So you can get all the sdhgear plus a couple of franchises that are no longer in existence in the shop
section at soccerdown here dot net. Also, once again, don't forget you can become a Finati co for ten bucks a year. You're sitting there and you're going, you know, ten bucks a year. John and that's that's a bargain and you're sitting there going, well, yes, it is. It absolutely is a bargain. And what I mean by that is what you can do is go to group dot
chant dot fan slash soccer down here, slash joint. I'll type it out because I always end up screwing it up, and you can become a fanatico and you get a lot of discounts at a lot of different places by being a fanatiko and you can be a part of our community here once again, this is part of our Soccer for Good campaign here in twenty twenty five. A lot of discounts a lot of different places here in the in the upper half of the state of Georgia, plus a resorting Costa Rica.
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Oh my god, I might have actually done it. There we go, group dot chant dot fanslash soccer down here, slash join. You can become a fanati co ten bucks a year and you get a lot of cool discounts from a lot of different places around the State and the Boss actually took it to Os Sullivan's this past weekend and being a Finati COO, so Decatur FC had a busy weekend. It was a big win over UFA and everything is steering itself toward the last three matches
of the season. It is a roadmatch this weekend on the twentieth, and the twenty fifth that is a home and home against Impact, and then on the twenty seventh it is the regular season finale against Chattanooga FC. You'll see me on the twentieth. You won't see me on the twenty seventh unless you're going to be at the Boss's birthday party, which is not going to be at Decatur High School. But big weekend in the WPSL. But yes,
you can become a Fanati CoA right there. Group dot chant dot fan slash Soccer down here, slash join and it's a lot of cool discounts from a lot of different places here in the upper half of the state of Georgia and the Chateau r and All and Coasta Rica, so very very cool stuff there. Wiley the Double Dog, so Darello l at the Double Dog, So dare you last night? Well and yeah, I mean Seattle.
We got to get into that.
Yeah, that'll probably be part of Bart. It'll probably be part of Bart.
At ten o'clock, two Reds in three minutes, Seattle goes down to nine. And it was a difficult evening, difficult evening if you're a fan of Seattle. But we'll get into that too in our number two and the roughing down here part of Bart's segment. But yes, yeah, but and the fact that one of them was new who is not a surprise. It was not a surprise. So
we'll go over the weekend that was also. We'll go over a little bit of it with Bart, but we'll go over most of it tomorrow and get you ready for everything that's going on there as we get ready on the quick turn for every thing going on in Major League Soccer. But yeah, we'll go over the double dog, So dare you in two reds in three minutes for Seattle. We'll go over that with Bart. In addition to the us M and t Abby, I appreciate that very much.
She misses seeing us at KSU. That reminds me. We'll catch up with Steve Cook at eleven thirty today as a part of our coverage the matchup against Huntsville City Football Club five o'clock in Athens on Wednesday afternoon, and so that will be Hunt City Football Club on our Mixler channel. And I can't wait to see everybody who will make the trek to Athens, who will be in
Athens for this matchup. But Hunt City and Atlanta United two, that's going to be Wednesday afternoon at five, four to thirty pre game Maddi Cruz and I'll have that for you on on the network, and then that'll set up Atlanta and NYC Thursday night, six thirty pre game, seven thirty seven forty kicks, sorry, and then the full time report after with Abe and Maddie. So that is that's
the early part of the week. And don't forget AST is going to be from the brew House tomorrow night, so you're gonna have the Friendly from eight to ten. You're gonna have Jason doing AST from ten to eleven. So busy night at the brew House tomorrow to watch the us M and T. But like I said, Bart Keeler is going to join us in about forty minutes
and we'll break everything down with Bart there. When it comes to the us M and t that was also getting into our promos before we get into Abe Gordon once again, you can help out the Marshall Island Soccer Federation scarves you get from me on the other side of this wall. Like I said, I got about ten and then middle week of August, Springdale, arkansaw the first ever Outrigger Challenge Cup. It is the Marshall Islands, it is Turks and Caicos, it is Guam, and it is
the US Virgin Islands. Those four well, I think one of them. I think one of them backed out. I think I think GWAM or GWAM that backed out. One of them backed out. But anyway, you're gonna have Marshall Islands the Outrigger Challenge Cup middle week of August in Springdale, Arkansas. We'll try and be there for that as much as we can because that's high school football season for me. We've got to figure out where I'm going to be
and how I'm gonna be there. But yeah, we're gonna try and be there as much as possible for the Outrigger Challenge Cup in Arkansas in the middle of August. But you can get all your Marshall Islands gear from them most of it ships from England. You get the Scarfet ships from me. On the other side of this door, also Olivi, New York, you can get your first ever
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But I think that's all the promos. Oliver, New York, Grady Baby, Marshall Islands SDH via Finati Co and join Finanates. I think that's it. I think that's it for everybody. Okay, So that's opening kickoff. Brought Too's buy our friends at Kickoff Coffee and Kickoff Coffeeco dot com once again. QR code right here, and you can get your Kickoff coffee right there. Then you buy out the entire store. You
can do it at a fifteen percent discount. Brought Too's buyer friends at Kickoff Coffee and Kickoff Coffeeco dot com all right, it is that time where we catch up with our buddy Abe Gordon and find out what's going on in his mind.
Once again.
Abe is on the air right now at ninety two nine in the Game in the Odyssey app. And you know what, Abe's going to be on the air right now with us, because we already talked about things. It's a conversation about at Lanty and I had a conversation about the men's national team to get you ready for Bart coming up at ten o'clock. So here is our conversation with Abe Gordon ninetyeen nine, the Game in the Odyssey app. All right, Bett laid off as he always does.
It's Ab Gordon here in nineteen nine the Game in the Odyssey app. So Abe, I mean it's it was an international window that we that were in the sprint after match day two in the international window. And then of course Atlanta United on Thursday is playing at the the U twelve pitch in the Bronx, and so I will be intrigued to see who makes the race home and how many minutes are going to be made available to whomever when it comes to Thursday.
Hopefully a lot of them can get home and get going, because they all seem to be in form. Like every time I looked up, I was being tweeted at another goal from a member of Atlanta United. I mean, what, Sleeash had a nice little worm burner. I think I saw Jay Fortune score. I think Sava scored. So the good news is if they can get back and they are rested, it feels like some of these guys are informed. I think I saw Niggy had a nice performance as well.
So if these guys can get back, maybe And we talked about this a little bit, maybe not here on the podcast, but certainly on the full time report, just these guys getting out and going away to their international squads and international duty and just kind of gaining confidence from strong performances. And I think now the challenges can you bring that both the level of performance but also the confidence that you have as an individual what it's like to win again sometimes can help a little bit.
Maybe someone should tell the Braves that, But just any little boost right now, because I thought there was a disproportionate reaction. We're gonna be honest to the loss against Red Bulls. It was certainly frustrating. No one's denying that, but that one loss didn't mean you lose all six of these road games or five left here, and I
do think it was a little disproportionate. I do think there is still the possibility that you have some momentum moving forward after those recent home wins, and so I'm looking forward to it. I do understand the Little League pitch and how it may be adjust what you need to do, how you develop and score goals, So I'm looking forward to seeing how Ronnie Diler manages that for his first time here, but obviously he's very familiar with the pitch up there from previous stops. So I'm feeling
pretty good. If we're gonna be honest, a little break, a little bit of a mental step away from the disappointing loss, and seeing all these guys play at a high level, perform at a high level, and hopefully getting back here's got me kind of juiced up for Thursday.
If we're gonna be honest, Yeah, And I know that we're also kind of keeping an eye on the injury front. You're gonna be getting interest in William Bob back at some point. He's turning the end of that recovery process. But you do Los came in Tookashi and the backup that you had at the striker position. So there is a give and take when it comes to the injury
element of it all. But you know, you look at Lot's a lot who all he has to do is fly from Toronto, so you know, as long as he can navigate Pierson Airport traffic, then he can get to New York and everything is fine there. But no, I think that to your point, you're looking at a match with NYC where it's not you just have to be mentally on for a full ninety minutes just because of all of the reverb and the pinball that happens there.
It's not something where you're focused on build up. You're focused on passing and shooting and having all of the lineup in its past form with Saba out on the outside. Like I said, I'm intrigued, as are you, for the reasons that it's a different approach in New York when it comes to playing in the Bronx as it would be on a traditional pitch.
And yes, I did just use air quotes.
Yeah.
And the concerning thing is some of the quality of Golden Lane United has given up. How turnovers had led to chances. How misplays in the back have led to chances. And I do think because of what you face up there, it probably gets magnified a little bit, and you have to be, as you mentioned, extra tight, extra focused. Every bounce has to be yours. The turnovers in the midfield, especially in the defensive midfield that is closer to an attacking point, you've got to be tight on those. And
so there's no doubt about it. You're gonna have to come and play better than you did against Red Bulls. And I don't know how many times throughout the streak of losses that I mentioned this to you. Even in some of the wins, goals are too easy to come by for Landy and iited opponents. You just I mean, imagine if this team made opponents work as hard to score goals as it Landy and United has to work to score goals. I mean, it'd be an immensely different season.
And I don't think it's because of a lack of quality. I don't think it's a lack of talent. I just think there have been so many miscues, mistakes and misplays that have absolutely cost this team. And there just haven't been the other end of that where you're the benefactor of some of those. There's been a couple here or there. But I just think you got to be buttoned up and dialed in. There's no doubt about that. I still think there's a season to be had if you can clean up.
I really do.
I don't think it's such a situation where there's no talent. I think we've seen because of some of the wins here that if you can just clean up something that makes it easy to beat you, that you can go on a run. So I'm still confident. Now it needs to start, right, I mean, you're past halfway now, this is the official past halfway point coming up, and so you need to start to turn it around a little bit.
I think you started to and now you need to continue that, especially as the only squad in the East that hasn't been able to do much on the road.
Yeah, and you look at what it looks like on the road at Land United five and two on the road and they are the only team not to get a full point result on the road this year. You do have a couple of folks that only have one win on the road, and so on.
And so forth. But at Land United right now five and two in the Eastern Conference.
All right, so since you are you are optimistic towards the second half of the season. This was a question that was posed when we were up at Nofaux Brewingen coming on Saturday. When it comes to bright spots in the first half of the season for it Land United, and we and Maddie and Jason and I each had our different answers, But I will pose this question to you.
Who are bright spots for you in the first half of the season for it Land United when it comes to what you've seen, even though the current win loss record does not reflect what a lot of folks would have liked to have seen at the beginning of the year.
Yeah, I mean, I imagine like them, you start immediately with the homegrowns in the academy, and it's Matt Edwards and Jay Fortune. Those are the first two and we've talked about them at length in pregame shows and postgame shows here on the podcast as well. I think you have to start there, but I actually want to take it a step back further. The first bright spot is the recognition from Ronnie Dila the development of the formation right right, the five in the back, the three center backs.
I don't think Matt Edwards becomes what he's become without the recognition of we're going to switch to this formation and see if it works. And likewise j Fortune for a lot of the same reasons. I think this formation has allowed those two specific guys to really blossom and bloom into what they've been the last I don't know, five to six match days, whatever the number is. I think you go a little bit further back, and I
know he's been banged up here there. Just Moyaba has had the best season that he's had as a member of Villady United, and it comes off of some really tough moments a year ago where a lot of people were really down on his ability and his performance. Mistakes got made and sometimes they still do. But I think moya Ba has been very good as well. And then like the Ages Wonder, like Brad Guzan, really just stays at a high level. And you know, I don't know
what I expected coming off of his injuries. I don't know what I expected another year later as he gets older and inevitably is one year closer to retirement, but he's just playing at a high level, and I just I don't know when the falloff is gonna come. I'm a little nervous about like continually giving him contracts or
doesn't seem to be some great succession plan there. But he's also playing at a very high level, and I think it has to be noted as well recently Moronchuk the past three or four matches, so I you know, we got to see a little bit more of that to continue.
But he's played very well also.
Yeah, and those were the common threads you have. You had I said, Matt Edwards and the homegrowns, and then you had Brad was mentioned, and you had made on Chuk mentioned, you had you know, Saba recently with the change in formation, with what you were able to do on the right hand side. He was another one that was part of the the that particular crew that was mentioned.
And honestly, Tira, I know he hasn't been given a ton of play time just because of Latte Lot, but he has scored some of the more important and significant goals for the club this year.
Yeah.
How much of the US national team did you pay attention to at or at all this past weekend?
I watched a minute in twenty and then I tweeted out about some nastiness from the Glenn and then I watched the rest of the match and was like, all right, these guys don't don't know what they're doing yet as a unit, and that's not a huge surprise. There's a lot of new names, a lot of people probably playing together, and I know they had a short camp and all that,
but this is a kind of a investigation period. It's a development period to figure out who are your best guys and who do you want to carry that flag when the World Cup comes, and so I think there's a lot of figuring things out still. Obviously it was a great start and then it was all all ugly from there and unfortunately a couple of goals that remind me a little bit too much of watching Atlanta United. Misplays in the back, a deflection gets by the keeper.
You didn't make Turkey work hard enough to score goals, and so that certainly is frustrating and you'll see if you can do better. What is that tomorrow night against Switzerland?
Is that who they got?
Yeah?
So in Nashville, Oh yeah, I'm.
Not gonna overreact to it, like I know everyone wants to be like, you're the United States. You can't be losing a Turkey. I'm like, I get it, but at the same time we're figuring things out. I'm not gonna get too worried about it. But yeah, I'm I'm just not an overreactor when it comes to that. I'll worry when the games matter.
Well, And that was my follow up question was that you seem to have folks that are bent out of shape about not having some of your big guns as you get ready for Gold Cup in this camp and things like that. So you're of the camp of, look, I need to figure out who guys twelve through twenty six are. I'm not worried about one through eleven when I'm playing turkey in East Hartford and Switzerland and Nashville.
Yeah, I mean, look, with respect to the Gold Cup, like I don't know who won like the two thousand and three Gold Cup or I don't know if they held one that year. But but I mean, you get the point, like the World Cup is what matters, and people are gonna a freak out about pulistic and not representing the country.
And all that.
All I'm sitting here is asking is is this guy gonna be healthy and ready to roll when the World Cup comes around, because that's what's most important. And so I totally understand it. And he's been carrying the banner for this this country practically single handedly for almost a decade now half a decade at least in regards to pulistic and so he needs some time. He's gonna get himself ready mentally, physically and be there for the World Cup.
I have no doubts about that. So I was talking with Maddie about this off air one day, and it just the the overreaction to he doesn't want to do this or doesn't want to do that, or how could you not? And and just like man, I'm just so singularly focused on the World Cup. Like I just some of these tournaments it's cool to be in, and certainly I want to win them, but like, I'm not gonna overreact if we don't, nor am I like gonna overly
celebrate if we do. It's just the World Cup matters so much more that all of my focus as soon as the World Cup ends is all right, what's the plan over the next four years to get the best team possible for the next World Cup? Like I would have managed US Soccer completely differently over the past, like twelve or sixteen years, because I don't think enough attention was paid to how do we develop our guys for
four years from now? I think too much of it was here are So, I mean, we can't be running thirty six year old guys and thirty seven year old guys out there just because they've they've been with the program for a while, Like, no, bring out the young guys, let them start to develop, because in three years, that's who's gonna be on the World Cup team, not some thirty seven year old defender thirty eight year old defender. I won't use any names midfielders who have been there
or whatever. I don't think they've really had that singular mindset and that that, to me, has been a little bit of a failure from US Soccer.
So you know, you're you're not gonna mention somebody who might whose name might sound like skim Cream.
Well, look this goes back.
It's not just him, and look maybe he'll he'll be there for the World Cup, sure, but like this goes back, there have been times we're running guys out there, and my mindset is, if you know a guy's not gonna be on the next World Cup team. I have no need for him at all to be part of the program.
It's just for me.
Everything after a World Cup is about building for the next three and a half years through World Cup qualifying, but to the World Cup ultimately. And if a guy is not gonna be there for the next World Cup, unless you're in such a bad shape, and the US Soccer shouldn't be in this position that you need a guy to help you qualify for a World Cup unless you really are in that situation.
I move on.
Let's bring in some youth in the midfield, or youth up top, or youth in the back line and figure it all out and get these guys going, because I just I feel like you're wasting opportunities to figure out who your best guys are for the next three four years and the cycle after that.
All right, broadcast plans for NYC and the U twelve pitch.
Yeah, we're looking forward to it again. An odd kickoff evening Thursday, But Mike and Jason will be up there and join the Big Apple. I will be back in studio getting you set with the five straps counting down for an hour beforehand and then certainly back with you for the full time report afterwards. So looking forward to it. I'm gonna remain confident all week. No one could break my stride, at least not until kickoff on Thursday.
And no one can slow you down. Yes, as always been friend. Great to see you on Mondays as we launch things off, and we'll be catching up with you on Thursday as well with NYC.
Sounds good.
John, Thanks and there goes Abe Gordon ninety two nine in the Game of the Odyssey app.
And so there you go.
That's Abes thoughts here on a reaction Monday, and I wanted to get his thoughts on the us M and t leading into Bart, who's going to be joining us in twenty minutes. We will hear from Mauricio Pochettino leading into Bart's segment, and we'll go through some of the other news notes and everything that is attached to all
that is going on morning, Dell, Thanks for dropping by. Okay, we do have a championship game set in the USL and it is an all Florida Super League Final, and so it is Tampa Bay and Fort Lauderdale that are going to be squaring off in the in the us USL Super League Final, and it was a moment in the one hundred and twentieth minute in one of them, and it was.
A moment in the sixtieth for the other.
So let's break down what happened in the USL Super League to get you to the championship game involving Tampa Bay and Fort Lauderdale. And that's gonna be on the fourteenth at seven point thirty. So once again, it's gonna be Saturday night, seven thirty in Tampa. So it'll be the championship by the Riverside or by the Bay, and it is Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Sun Fort Lauderdale United, seven thirty Saturday night. That's gonna be on Peacock And so yes, you can get your seats
now as they are there. But for Fort Lauderdale, very very busy night for Caro Locklear as they went to American Legion Stadium in Charlotte to take on Carolina Ascent. It would take a while, but it would be Locklear getting both the goals to make sure that Fort Lauderdale would get to the title game in USL Super League. Here is the one that decided it later than late, courtesy of our friends at the.
USL Super League in Peacock.
Of Soccer. Here this evening in Charlotte, brooks.
Over the top Lockleyer's there, she fights the back of the neck, the flag stays down, and Kiara Locklear.
With the go ahead goal in.
The one hundred and twenty.
At the minute this entire Carolina team thought she was going to be called offside.
Super League once again, the number four seed Fort Lauderdale knocks off the top seed Carolina ascent in Charlotte, and so it was two to one final Fort Lauderdale over Carolina. They would advance as the four seed and then they would get the winner of Tampa.
Bay and Dallas.
Dallas traveling to Tampa Bay to take on the Tampa Bay Sun. Here is the decider in that one. It happened sixty minutes earlier than the previous one, with Carol lock clear, but nevertheless Tampa Bay gets the duke. Here's the deciding goal there, once again courtesy of the USL Super League and Peacock. Ashley Orcis plays it to Besett Hogan.
That's been a little quiet today as well.
About this ball.
Jemona on the end of it, looping.
Towards goal like Carly Jamona puts Tampa Bay on top. What a three bread here, and it almost seemed like it was in slow motion as she was able to just chip it over.
Madison White hit that side netting. So it's the two and the four that make it to the final and the USL Super League on Saturday once again, that's on Peacock two two one wins, two to one win for Fort Lauderdale, two to one win for Tampa Bay and
so Tampa Bay Sun will host as the two seeds. So, uh, we'll see if we can catch up with some folks on this one and later on the later on in the week specifically to kind of get the lowdown as to what happened this season and find out what the the overall vibe is about the USL Super League, and we'll find out, uh, we'll find out about the title game and we'll send we are we've been efforting all season long trying to talk to some folks who are the hires up, higher ups, HighRes up, kind of like
poets laureate the folks in charge. And so we'll see if we can come up with either a primo mortem or a post mortem when it comes to the season here with the USL Super League. But that's your title game. It is the two seed Tampa hosting the four seed Fort Lauderdale, and that is going to be this weekend once again courtesy of our friends at Peacock. Carol Locklear, by the way, gets the brace in that one, getting both goals, and so that is how it ends up
with the win for Fort Lauderdale. In the one hundred and twentieth minute, people, one hundred and twentieth minute, Caroll Locklear gets the duke and it ends.
Up with the win there for Fort Lauderdale.
All right, so let's take the tour and let you know what's going on with all the news and everything, and there is a lot of news that is going on overseas this morning. It appears that Thomas Frank looks like he is going to be taking the gig with spurs. May your Lord help you, sir, h it's gonna be a I hope they give you the resources that you're
hunting for verbally agreed to terms. According to our buddy Bend Jacobs, ongoing discussions over back room staff deals subject to Frank's release clause being triggered, but he is expected to replace Ajpasterac that comes from Alex Crook, Ben Jacobs and others parties now finalizing the appointment.
As of about an hour.
Ago, Angelino set to sign for All Hill All after agreeing to terms. Offer of up the twenty three million euro was made, Roma expected to accept. We do have some other news involving Calcio coming up in a bit and it's not good. Manchester City have agreed to have reached an agreement with Leon to sign Ryan Cherokee for forty million euro five year deal. Deals expected to be completed in time for the Club World Cup.
Let's see.
Everton confirmed they've offered new contracts to Seamus Coleman and Addrissa Gay, adding they continue to liaise with representatives of Michael Keene, Dominic Calvert Lewin, all four players due to be out of contract at the end of June. Iacs interested in signing Antonio Cordero on loan from Newcastle. The eighteen year old Spanish winger also has options in Germany in Spain Newcastle. According to our buddy Benji, Jacob's definitely
going to loan Cordero out next season. The joke that I gave Ricky when the show started, where Ricky was quite pleased about what happened in the Nations League and Portugal. After one hundred and twenty minutes in PK's Christiano Ronaldo says he will extend his deal at Al Nasser quote my future, nothing will change Al Naser, yes, So Al Naser been working on renewing the Al Ronaldo for almost
a year. Chelsea Confirmamed Usar has joined from Strasbourg an eight year contract fee in the region of fourteen million euro. The plans for Sar to be a part of the club World Cup squad and so it was a five to three shootout victory, two to two after extra time, Christiano Ronaldo scoring the equalizer, Rubin Neves the game winning penalty.
Robert Lewandowski don't know if you saw this announced he is not going to play for Poland again while Michael Probierres is in charge as head coach, so we will keep an eye on Lewandowsky Poland and him not playing while things are currently going on. Victor Oceman has turned down all hill, all travel and medical schedule to complete the deal.
In time for the Club World Cup.
Seventy five million euro package was in place with Knopoly, but formally rejected the offer, and so now that ain't happening. Bucci Laba was the first to break that news. Dortmann agreed to a thirty eight million euro package with Sunderland
for Joe Bellingham for britzill Romano. On the top of that one, Bellingham is expected to sign a five year deal and so now Osceman's all Hill all rejection means that it is going to be a race to try to figure out Victor o'ceman and what's going on with Galatasarai. So Genowa confirmed Patrick Vieira has signed a new contract
until the summer of twenty twenty seven. The other piece of news that we wanted to get into before kind of lean into all of the other gossip bermeran and innuendo what to watch, where to watch it and how to watch it has to do with Brescia, and you know, the one the individual who probably could give us a better breakdown of context would be Nick. But apparently Brescia is struggling to pay their three million euro debt and
they have filed for bankruptcy. So it now looks like they are going to go extinct after one hundred and fourteen years, one hundred and fourteen years of play, and it looks like Brescia will be no more unable to pay a debt, a three million year old declared bankruptcy, one hundred and fourteen years of history, and it looks like Brescia is going to be facing expulsion from professional leagues in Italy. So keep an eye out on that.
You know, it is a lot of inbounds and outbounds for players and such, and so you're talking Debaggio, Pep Guardiola, George Haji. No one really knows what is the future for Brescia, but it looks like they might be facing the end of it all and it might be might be heading all the way down to serid might be heading out to might be just being completely and totally wiped off the planet. So we'll keep an eye on Brescia, but it ain't looking good for a club that is
having a three million euro in debt. You go to their official two hundred and eighty character app and back on the twenty ninth of May, they had an official correspondence they acknowledged the decision of the National Federal Court examining reasons also with regard to all the detailed defenses brought to the attention of federal judges, reserve the right to an appeal of the process. But that was back on the twenty ninth of May, and we have heard
nothing since. When it comes to Brescia's, so it could be another historic club that could be completely and totally out the door. David Ornstein kind of breaking the news that we've been breaking a bit. Ornstein now says that Thomas Frank hope they're hoping for an agreement with Frank in the next forty eight hours. And so David Ornstein
once again very very busy. He mentions Ryan Cherokee, He mentions Jamie Gittens getting a from Brusha Dortmund, having Chelsea submitting an official proposal for Gettens, having agreed to a seven year contract with the Ford. But keep an eye on the next forty eight hours involving Thomas Frank, and when it comes to Thomas Frank leaving Brentford and heading to Spurs to be their head coach since Angepasta Coglu was told that his services were no longer desired.
To be head coach.
Like I said, I'm just hoping that Thomas Frank gets the resources that he is looking in on. But of course, knowing what he had to deal with with Brentford, he knows about how to deal with things economically, and so maybe.
It would be just like a larger name.
And Thomas Frank dealing with the same kind of emo economic constraints that he had at Brentford now just doing it with a club that has a larger name and a longer pedigree than Brentford. Now the big question is
for Brentford the trickle down effect. They're looking at selling Brian and Buomo and who do you bring in along the same vein as Thomas Frank, who knows how to deal with the budget, have a fantastic recruiting staff, make sure that those folks that are looking for talent can do so in the same economic constraints that Brentford had under Thomas Frank and had the same level of mid tables success that they had under Thomas Frank. So keep an eye on Brentford and the higher for Thomas Frank.
Should the next forty eight hours come to pass and Thomas Frank become the new head coach at Spurs. So how does Brentford follow up Thomas Frank especially selling Brian and Bouomo and anyone else that comes knocking on Brentford's door?
So what does Brentford do for an Encore? That to me is the larger question in all of this.
Liverpool set to make a final offer worth one hundred and eighteen million pounds inclusive of add ons for Floyd and Vertz after Byer Lever Cusan rejected a one hundred and thirteen million pound bid. Four Letter Paper Evertson interested in Jack Grealish, but any move might have to be a loan deal because of his wages at Manchester City. Once again, the Four Letter Paper Real Madrid to make one last attempt to sun Ralel Sociod's twenty six year
old Martin Zuba Mendi close to joining Arsenal. They've yet to agree with Arbi Leipzig over Benjamin Seshko, but the next round of talks have been scheduled. Rasmus Hoyland says he's not thinking about leaving Manchester United despite being linked with a move to inter Milan. Miles Lewis Skelly set to a new Arsenal deal despite interest from Real Madrid.
Chelsea's offer of thirty five million euro for Jamie Gittens has been rejected by Dortmann, who are demanding fifty to sixty, so you're looking at a difference of at least thirteen million pounds on the bottom. Chelsea prepared to pay ac Milan up to fifteen million euro for Mikey Magnon Verona
and Diego Coppola has interest from Bournemouth and Como. Once again we mentioned Victor Osimhan Jaden Sancho one player amongst several who Al Hilal are considering signing this summer, and the Italian Football Federation keen for Claudio Ranieri to take over after Spiletti has been let.
Go to be the manager.
So once again Danny Rust, Ben Jacobs, everybody sitting there saying there's a verbal agreement in place with Spurs and Thomas Frank that we'll keep an eye on that all right. Before Bart joins us here to start our number two, what I wanted to do was play the moments that kind of led into that are going to lead into our conversation with Bart. First and foremost, the US men's national team wasting no time, no time, no time, no time getting on the board in East Hartford in nasty conditions.
It's just rainy and bah going up against turkea first minute. Here's Jack McGlenn courtesy of our friends at T and T and US Soccer. See that is given his.
First stop with the United States today.
Here is Richard's at.
The Palace Stout. He went to the kay a couple of weeks ago. Chowman in the midfield, up to on Toughway, pushing the roll down the right side.
Jock mclenns and Strip Bullard might kick it down stops just sixty seconds. Job, Hey, you're out of Jack McGlenn.
And so that was Jack McGlenn scoring for the US men's national team. That would be the only goal that the US men's national team would score, and Turkilla would score two in quick succession. Like I said, we'll get into that with Bart and the the context subtext, all of the text. You had a one nill lead, then you're down to one. You don't get an equalizer, So we'll get into that context coming up on the other side.
Here's Maurcio Pochettino after the match and the two to one lost to Turkia and East Hartford once again courtesy of our friends at US Soccer.
The performance I seen was good. I think we faced today at the like.
Turkey, that is a very good team with the sperience player player on the top. And I think this group of players playing for first time, I think we started the game so well. We played twenty minutes. I think in a high level. I think we did very good things, very posit these things one need last happen for us. I think, yes, it was an impact on emotional impact when we concede that after we score in the second action, after to concede the first we conceded in two minutes,
we con see two goals. That was was difficult to handle for the team. And yes, that we suffer a litterally until to the end of the first half. But I think the second half with recovery, our and our way to perform, and I think the second half was an.
Even game overall.
I think maybe we can't say that we maybe we served the draw, but we lose. But I think we need to be positive because today I think only we can talk about only football actions soccer action, but not I think the team showed great energy, great mentality, great altitude, and then it's this type of game that maybe if you made a mistake, you can't lose it.
But made a mistake because it's it's okay, it's football.
That is why I think I am so so happy about in the way that I think we delivered the show and in the way that we.
Try to play.
Yes, so positive because I think we have another game now to prepare the Good Cup and then to face the World Cup in a in a good condition.
Where's your Botchettino after the two one loss to Torquilla in East Hartford, and he thought that they might have deserved draw. But once again, you know, you're trying to navigate, as we were talking about with Abe, You're trying to figure out I guess slots twelve through twenty six or twelve through twenty eight. And this is where we bring in Bart Keeler as we break everything down on our Mondays and we have us, M, ME and T to talk about, plus the double dog show that happened in
Seattle and anything else that popped into Bart's head. But first and foremost, sir, we watched what happened, and I made a point to play the Mercy Pochatino sound leading to your appearance here this morning. Uh, you know, you had a one nil lead, and we'll walk through it. But you couldn't have asked really for a better start going up against TURKIEB where Jack McGlenn decided to drop an absolute bomb from about twenty three to get things started in the first minute.
Well, Jack McGlenn did what Jack McGlenn does.
Hey, and er Leck is interested in it, so now we know.
Yeah, you know, I wish he had played better at the rest of the game. But you know, I think it's also fair to ask why the dude is playing on the wing, But that's a whole other Well, actually it's a conversation for right now anyway. But I think when you look back at this game and Maurico Poccino, now, granted he's trying to put a positive spin on things because Humboy has lost three matches in a row, but it wasn't as bad as I think a lot of people want to make this out to be. It just
truly wasn't. I think there is some perspective that is being lost here. Turkey is playing, they're basically their first choice lineup. Artic Gouler and others who are playing in the Club World Cup chose to plan these friendlies. Now this is an indictment on the US stars who are
too I don't know, tired to play these friendlies. But whatever, they're not here, So that means that, especially when you looked at the starting lineup John not first choice starting lineup at all, but like one position and that was one center back right, you could argue Chris Richards is your only guy, and that starting eleven who is a
first choice guy. And so yeah, it makes sense that the final fifteen minutes of the first half, maybe final twenty was bad, just straight up bad, bad soccer, bad teamwork,
bad everything. But it wasn't like this is an unexpected result when you look at the grand scheme of things and then you look at what happened in the second half where I felt the team well, yes, they gave up some chances that they don't need to be giving up, created several chances, and had some half opportunities that they need to figure out how do we convert that to true full opportunities. Part of that is having a striker
whose feet aren't made of concrete bricks. Part of that is having, you know, your supposed guys who are going to lead this team stepping up to play better. Part of that is putting a header that you have within eight yards inside the goal, not at the keeper's hands. And you can look back at this game and see a lot of opportunities that were missed, be it flat out missed or the last connection was missed. You know, it's like a classifieds in a nineteen eighties newspaper over here.
Oh wow, you know. So you look at.
Mcclenn, Malec, Tillman, Diego Luna, there were there were folks that I know that you know, you have the instant gravitation toward when you're sitting there and you're looking at
shiny objects going up in this match. But you get the one Nill lead and then it comes down to simple decision making and it was not a good decision on the pass that created a quick turnover in an equalizer, and then you're trying to from that moment forward figure out, Okay, now we're tied, how do we get out of this jam? And it creates another opportunity and Torquilla takes advantage of it.
So it comes down to it came down to I think individual decisions and decision making in moments of pressure that were created by Turkia trying to create short fields and trying to be clinical.
Well, and one of those by a guy who is supposed to be a leader of this team right now. I mean, you have several players at his position not here, and Johnny Cardoso puts out a flat up stinker. John. I mean we're talking, you know, the baby had ribs for the first time, stinker and it was I mean, looking at his fop operating below five is atrocious, right, And in that moment specifically was really bad. But he
also provided really nothing else. And he's a guy who is kareem toward the Josh Sergeant Bro, are you actually good question? Because he has yet to put out a good performance for this US national team, despite looking pretty good at the club level. Now you can argue he's not being played in the exact way that he does for real the tease. But Bro's still a deep lying ish center midfielder, right. This is not like you're asking him to be a left back and he's failing.
So we're talking deep lying ish and there was a beat there and I'm like, okay, So does he mean deep lying ish or does he mean deep lying ish? And so it took me a second to deep dish. I know if you meant that space in there for deep lying deep deep lying ish or deep lying ish.
So it took me a second. Okay, it's a munch, but.
No, that's I mean, that's the thing is like. Okay, well, I'm sorry that you're asking you to play a little bit more as a sixth than an eight. Figure it out, man, This is not that different. You know, Jay Fortune can figure out how to play left back for a terrible Atlanta un out of team. You could figure out how
to play center mid in a slightly different space. Sorry, your coordinates on the field aren't exactly the same as you're used to figure it out, and he's not doing it, and that repeatedly has been the problem for him to the point where I don't want to see him at all during this Gold Cup because what has he shown me? If I see him against Trinidad and Tobago and he looks fine, okay, good Haysus Ferrera, did that? Look where
he is right now? Ask Seattle about that. Yeah, I'm probably sure we will get Seattle about.
That in a little bit.
It's real, So that is you're right, John, I mean the individual moments. Look, we have to say at Miles Robinson was just also bad this game. He is not necessarily to blame for that goal, second goal, but he had a chance to clear the ball and completely fails to do so. He also was not great working with Richards for the rest of the match. He's not an Atlanta guy anymore. So we don't have to claim him, but you know, we still want him to do well
and he didn't. And he's had some really bad performances for the US national I mean, he looked bad in January camp, right, remember that going back to that, he was not the guy you expected him to be in a January camp roster. It's kind of sad to see, to be quite honest. But John, Yeah, and that's the thing, is like you're going to remember these two goals because within this ban of what four minutes, everything floaded. But the rest of the match was okay enough, especially the second half.
Yes, and so let's roll through the numbers as it's presented by our friends at Soccer America. Seven players getting their first opportunity in this window to represent their country Matt Freeze, three saves, two clears, and then the two goals in four minutes. They give Freeze in his first cap of five.
I mean, I don't think any of the goals were his fault. Sure, sure he still gave up two goals, but you know, I don't think any of them were his fault.
Right defenders.
You mentioned Chris Richards central defense, and this is once again what we always do for a baseline is go to our friends at Soccer America Mike way Tala responsible for this one. Central defender Chris Richards seemed to reach all Turkish high balls with his head, but when the Turks kept the ball on the ground, the US back line became vulnerable, even had midfield help. While failing to intervene before Turkulu's go ahead to make it two one.
During the build up, Miles Robinson and Alex Freeman both tackled left back Max Arston had moved to the middle when Ogu's i Den fired from the right wing. The ball that deflected off of Robinson to Turkulu's feet. Right back debutant Freeman out of position on Turkey's first big chance when Kenan Yieldez served up artegoulair for a wide open chance he had high over the bar. Debutant fared
okay under plenty of pressure without risking forward movement. Richard's block shot steadied the back line during Turkeya's second half counter attacks.
This is harsh.
Alex Freeman of three miles also gets a three from Lloyd Talla. Chris Richards is six, Max Arston a four.
I think it's hardest on Max Arsten. I thought he was better than a four, but he also only you know, didn't play as much, so that's gonna factor him that now. I did not think Freeman played well. John Sorry, I know, I know the whole point of this camp is to prop up MLS guys who have had a decent season. But Freeman did not show the promise that I think he brought in to camp with and certainly didn't show the hype that a lot of MLS dudes have have said about him. And look, like I said, I haven't
watched them extensively, but he hasn't looked great. Against he didn't look great, and against Atlanta nined in a one game, uh, and then the other game was kind of a non factor because our team is unable at that point to create any type of offense, So you know, that's pretty important, and I just don't think he did anything worth remembering to quote honest one of three on dribbles, which is kind of the thing he's supposed to bring is some
slightly more offensive juice. But this is debut. You get one bad chance and hopefully you can put it behind you and you learn from it, because it is I mean, look, the conditions were not great.
Yeah, but.
You're gonna play in rain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you are got to figure it out. Yes, that that's where we're at. You gotta figure it out.
Yeah.
Midfield, A false sense of comfort came over the five man midfield in the early going when they easily pass this together after Jack mcglenn's well it's more it was more than eighteen Mike, but he's his eighteen yard Golosso that cohesion waned midway through the first half when the Turk shifted into an attacking gear.
He mentioned Johnny. Johnny took two.
Lazy touches near the USA's penalty spot for banging the ball in Artigulaire's leg, from which it rolled into the US net at one one lost the ball shortly afterward in his own half for another Turkey chance, replaced at halftime in a planned move. Tilman won more balls in midfield than Cardoso, but after being part of the McGlenn given go on the USA, early goal infrequently sparked promising attacks. Besides a good cross that Luca Delatori's skied over the crossbar.
In the second half, still Delatori was the most capable of the midfield core in progressing play forward for the USA, Diego Luna initiated a counter attack that led to a McGlenn block shot and a six yard headed that Tilman headed into Burke User's hands. Tilman's weak effort came after a strong US start to the second half that included Arsten shooting high from insight the penalty area. McGlenn gets a seven, now like Tilman gets a five, Johnny a two.
I think that's the first time I've ever seen a two from Soccer America. Luca Dilatoria six, and Diego Luna got a five.
I think that was really generous to McGlenn. I think we're factoring in his goal a little too much. Look, you score a banger like that, you get an extra point maybe to your rating. But at the same time, I don't think he who is particularly effective the rest of the game. To the fact that I think I think his former union teammate out shown him when he came on in the second half. But Deleatoria I actually thought was one of those guys that pleasantly surprised me
as someone who I don't know looked competent. I'm not saying he looked great, looked like he knew what he was doing both individually and within the team. Didn't really amount to a whole whole lot. But comparing Cardoso to till A Tory, he was great, and again I think Tilman again just a slightly disappointing performance. Yes he gets the assist heavy air on the air quotes there, John, but he was again just not the dude we need
to see. I mean, if you're going to play in that attacking midfield role and have the come in with the season you had with PSV, the last two seasons you've had with PSV, the production you've you've given that team, and every single time he come to this national team
it's just meh. Again, he has yet to score for his for the the USA again, another one who's kind of careening into the maybe not Kreening, but you know, the the a little bit of sleep of the wheel and kind of moving toward that Josh Sargent camp of what's the point of bringing you in when you don't produce? And unfortunately for him, he is in a position where production goal production is necessary. An assist is fine, but again that assist was not necessarily some magical stroke of
the brush. That was a pass to a dude who did a lot of heavy lifting after it. It just hasn't been there for Tillman and that's the frustrating part again for him and Cardoso. We are as fans. You look at them play week in and week out for their club teams, especially a guy like Cardoso who plays at Real Batist, who made a conference league final and you know, lost to a team that shamefully isn't playing in the tournament. You know, I mean, it's not clicking
for some reason at the national team. And Tillman same thing. I mean, he lights at at PSV, comes here and it's like, bro, where is that, especially when you compare him to his PSV teammates. Right, Peppy shows up to the national team regularly scores, right, dust, although we haven't seen him in it what feels like a decade when
he has played for the national team. You go, oh, that dude's special, right, And so it's just really frustrating that Tilman is not able to do that, especially in the game that we needed him to do that.
Big Pat got a four.
Patrick Ajimung wrestling with Turkey's defenders produced a couple of layoffs and corner kicks. When he finally had room to Unleasha's shot from Luna's fifty third minute pass, it flew straight to the keeper.
So Big Pat just got four on the day.
Yeah, homeboy, welcome to actual defending. It's not MLS anymore.
You know.
I'm sorry to say it, but MLS you know this. Let me look at landing Atti center backs. Lord knows they can't defend a sneeze in a paper bag.
But for cowboy, careful, cowboy.
Okay, a lot of MLS defenders cannot defend a sneeze with a tissue, and some of them play for Atlania. But Pat had to kind of have a wake up call, and I don't think he really ever woke up to it.
But it's you know, because I even think with Nations League, it was like, okay, well, yeah, you're playing some Panamanian or Canadian defenders that are decent, but there's a level of defending the Turkish players, right and a lot of these very savvy, heady European players have that just we don't have in this hemisphere, and they know how to defend a big, strong, physical dude, and they they defended it pretty well, not the showing I think he would want.
The problem here is John, we don't really have a guy that is screaming to come off the bench behind him because Brian White, if you want to get when we get it to him, we'll talk about him. But Brian White wasn't The answer is Damian Down's the answer. I don't know. The dude's twenty and has like a year and a half of professional underneath his belt, same as Arguming. So it's just it's tough right now because the striker selection in this particular camp is dismal. And
that's no offense on those guys. It's just we're talking about like five six seven on the depth chart compared to even a guy like you know, Ricardo Peppy or possibly even a guy like Brandon Vazquez being here where you just feel slightly more comfortable because you've seen them do it for the national team.
I just haven't seen him do it for Austin FC. But that's another.
They Hey, listen, Austin scored against US. He scored against US. I can't tell you another time that Austin scored.
Does except for our buddy og Yeah, Og, Yeah. He was at one point the second leading goal scorer for Austin. But I don't think he can is eligible for national team caps, and it doesn't matter what team we're talking about. Tyler Adams limited to forty five minutes because fitness issues, being a major improvement over Johnny no doubt, contributed to a lively start to the second half. USA managed to get the ball deep into the Turkish half often, but had limited ideas on how to capitalize.
In the end. Keeper Uzer made two saves.
Quinn Sullivan managed to cross after some nifty moves, but mis hit a shot from Hodgie Wright's most impressive service. So Tyler Adams gets at six, Mark McKenzie, Hodgi Wright get five's. Nathan Harriel, in his first cap, got a four Quinn Sullivan his first cap get a five.
Ryan White got a five as well.
What did you say that McKenzie got, Uh, McKenzie got a five according to Waytala, I.
Think that's harsh. I I think what we learned of this game, John, most importantly is McKenzie. Now, granted, I will say that they had Tyler Adams in front of them, so maybe that is it, But McKenzie and Richards looked best together.
Yeah.
Again, I don't think Miles had a great game. Now in Miles's defense, Johnny Cardozo was doing I don't know what he was doing.
He was.
Creating chances. John, You're right, here's creating chances, not Varan tam And So either a, you learned that these center backs are really good and probably need to be the pairing you see going forward, which is still my belief. But also maybe we learned be that Tyler Adams is just another level of invaluable when he's on the field, because not only did he mop up a lot clean up a lot, but he also because of that was able to then turn that into offense very quickly, mainly
by himself. I think Tyler, this was the best obscene and play offensively for the US national team. He was inside. He was inside the opponent's box creating chances John that is like, I mean, welcome, but like that's just not what he usually does because that's not where his positioning on the field was. But I think that was the
result of him and other defenders. I thought, again, I thought Dalatry played really well this game, but I thought Tyler and Dealatori on that second have did a great job of keeping Turkey from being able to truly break out unless it was a long ball long right. That seemed to be the only time they were able to
really break out of pressure. And I think that in itself is another good thing to take from this game is well, Yes, Tyler Adams being probably the best player on the field for the US national team is not a surprise, but it's nice to see. And if you can get him with a guy like de la Torre, who is a very good kind of clean up dude as well both and you can add the quick transition
to offense, that is a good sign. As you got to the Gold Cup where you're going to be playing a team like Haiti and trinidadam Tobago who aren't great.
Yeah, and then but at the same time, you know that you have an idea as to what they may do defensively and it's going to be up to you to try to work around that. Yep, when it comes to Gold Cup and they start actually against Trinidad and Tobago and San Jose on the weekend.
So that's again why I think it's positive to see Tyler playing such great attacking soccer. I mean, I think that was good and he and Luca did really well in that phase of game. So to answer your point John, of how trend adam Haiti are most likely going to put I don't know, seventeen people a brick house and possibly an Orca or two and in front of the net. You know, having those guys show some offensive prowess was really nice this game.
The US has a seven game winless streak against the European team since beating Bosnian Herzegovina back in December twenty twenty one, five game losing streaks since their twenty twenty two World Cup ties against Wales in England, and that sets up obviously the friendly Tuesday in Nashville. So shots five to three for Turkey, shots on target thirteen to eleven. That's got to be reversed. Now, that's not shots on target. Thirteen shots.
Oh yeah, well that is reversed. But the US had more shots.
Yeah than Turkey.
Yes, sure, thirteen shots to eleven and three on three to five on target the target. Yeah, Soccer America has the numbers flipped. Yea, they just yeah, they put the wrong Yes, three saves for Matt Freeze, two on the Turkish side, nine corners five for Turkey. Twenty two fouls, fourteen of them called on the United States, just the one off side, and then sixty forty in possession for the US. Of course, when you have a two to one lead, it's just like, nah, don't want it.
It's all good.
You can, you can, you know, you can do with it whatever you want.
And then you end up where you are.
So now you have the second you have the second friendly coming up tomorrow up in Nashville.
Do we know what the ticket prices are?
First and foremost, Well, I paid fifty five dollars a ticket for my ticket, and now they're not twenty five dollars because it's running a special for walkers and and playing in Nashville. So thanks you as soccer for.
Doing that to me.
Oh boy, there's plenty of tickets available if you I want to make the trip up. I'm leaving tonight, getting on a Greyhound at four thirty and heading on up to Nashville.
Okay, okay, So expectations in this matchup for you are.
What, well, I expect to add Swiss to a Turkey sandwich. That's my bad joke about that this morning. I'm sorry, John, I don't know, John. I mean, look, I think that stat line you just laid out about European competition and our lack of success against said the European competition is really disheartening. You mentioned that game.
But at the end of the day, does it matter considering Yeah, John, because you got.
To beat them on occasion in a World Cup. I mean you got to, right, I mean that was the problem where.
You're kicking When you're kicking tires, Does it matter in the context the beach matchhup though, is my point?
I mean, John, we've been kicking Dan tires on this team for what feels like five years now, and that's the problem is eventually these guys got to show up and do it. So yes, it does matter because again. You got to show up and do it now again. If you I think when you look at Oh, if
you don't loot beat Switzerland, is the sky falling? No, because this is, as I laid out earlier, not your first cheer choice team, not your You know, you're not putting a lineup out there to necessarily say, Okay, this is the best eleven I have, right even within the second choice squad. For the most part, that said yes,
that's said you gotta start getting results. And and you mentioned BOSSI John, that Bosnia game was a December friendly outside of a FIFA window, So you gotta start getting something. And I think more importantly, the vibes are way off off with this team right now. And you had thirty four thousand. I could go on to a long die tribe about that. Thirty four thousand in East Hartford, Connecticut in the rain. Good for them who are ready to
support you. You're gonna have twenty five is thousand here in Nashville maybe less you know tomorrow you're rapidly losing support from the fan base. That's just got to call it what it is, John, And I hate to me how much have we gone through that for the past two years, three years, four years. It's our local club right where you can't just keep selling people on promise. You can't just keep selling people on oh well, we
have talented players. You got to win on occasion. Unfortunately, and furthermore, you could possibly looking up four losses in a row heading into a Gold Cup. That's not great at all either. And again you can say they're friendlies, and are, but we know better than anyone that in the United States friendlies aren't just seen as exercises. We do expect to win, especially when US Soccer is charging the amount of the prices charging for tickets. And I mean that sincerely. I mean that sincerely.
With soccer you don't up charging that much frankly, but no, I.
Mean that's but that's the problem is you have a lot of people paying a lot of money to support this team. People are paying more money for these daggum Gold Cup tickets because they pretend like they are paying for two matches, which is the biggest scam in the Northern Hemisphere. And and that is the problem is especially you know, I I even was like, why am I going up? I can watch this from home, I mean at the bar. But you know, for a heck of a lot cheaper than whatever had cost me to get
there to tend the match. So I mean we're teetering on. We might already be there, to be quite honest, because the results since last summer have just been dismal and it's not great, John, Sorry.
It's just not.
So.
Before we get into repping down here and activity with the seattle that one of them involving new who who you know, I was waiting for him to get the new Who hat trick, you know, foul car injection goal, you know. So we'll get into the new Who hat
trick in a second. But apparently Mark Polisik decided to go on to the media that is social and chase after don Ovan and his comments about not playing in certain tournament situations, and so landed Donovan goes on television, I'm not going to play it, considering the network that it was attached to, in the situation that's attached to and trying to sit there and say things in a studio situation.
I get that.
So Mark Polisik then goes on social media and says, this guy is talking about commitment.
Look in the mirror.
Plus grow a pairer and call names out or are you afraid next time you want an interview you'll get rejected again?
Oh right, well yeah sure, call him out, put on blast publicly that Christian Polistic needs to show up and stop belly aching, right, because that's the consensus here. As you are, you committed to this national team and you can look. I understand that there are some optic issues with the messenger of being Landon Donovan who famously took a sabbatical from this team, right, and that caused him to be left off of the twenty fourteen World Cup roster.
And apparently the coach at the time has come out publicly and said that, yes, that sabbatical did lead to the decision of yeah, being a part of the.
Club, yeah, which is a fair question of commitment. However, that was not something that was how do I put this nicely? That was well known, well documented and well explained. And I think that is the issue right now is Christian Politic. I ain't said nothing. He himself has not said a damn thing he has said to you Wes Soccer, who then reported to us the things he has maybe possibly said or his team or the club or whatever. Has said, possibly to media about maybe a lingering issue
of an injury. So if you're tired of getting called out, bro say something. Don't have your dad, So go on an Instagram story and say something when you're mad, because you're mad that they said that your son isn't committed to the natural team when homeboy has not played in
a Gold Cup since twenty nineteen. Okay, and again, the last time we saw you, Christian Polistic, you were losing two games in a nation's league final, and the time we saw you before that, you're failing at the Copo America, first host nation to ever get grouped at a Copo America. So why don't you look at yourself in the mirror, Christian Polistic, mister Captain America, captain of this national team, and ask yourself what are you doing to make this
team better? Sorry, I'm over it. I don't y'all need to stop y'all meeting these players. Y'all need to stop acting like we're not. We're asking something monumental of you to be committed and win for this national team. With a talent as much talent as you claim to have in the career that you've.
Had, you see there you go.
That's why I figured, Uh, I figured bringing up the topic would get get an answer this morning. I mean, uh, Catalucci says that so policit can't handle a cold, rainy day in Connecticut.
I mean it's he.
Probably would have, you know, heard his left toe playing on this field, and then he would have been out for it. I mean that's oh, but again I could understand if he said, hey, look, for example, Jedi Robinson saying I had have some knee probably you know, I had a procedure to make sure my knee was better. Right, that makes sense. Okay, now is the time to do it now again. My other issue is we got guys on Turkey whose teams are playing in the Club World Cup.
Who they're going to be playing with those teams? Arda Guler is playing in the Club World Cup with real frickin Madrid.
Mm hmm, but he's here mm hmmm.
Poltic, you ain't got an excuse. Your club ain't doing crap this summer? Where are you, bro? You couldn't even make it for these friendlies?
Yeah, and I mean that's uh what well? And yes, Milanicaly is a nice place for exile. Uh, let's get into some of the the the reffing down here moments of the weekend. And really we only have to go to one place, and and it is Seattle, and it was technically Vancouver. Yes, involve it, Yes, thank you, involving involving Seattle and our and our man knew who, and he wasn't the only one.
But nevertheless, when was the last time you saw a literally a back to back.
Red like we had for Seattle where they go from eleven B eleven to eleven B nine rather quickly. And we start, we start with our We start with our our buddy knew who and in the fifty late fifty.
First, yeah, I need to look up what they did. Do you have the report of what they actually listed?
This?
Hang on just a second.
So I've never been able to find this because you can obviously you document what type of yellows and red cards you give?
Yes, all right, so let me find knew who read card?
All right?
So yeah, I go, knew who red card is probably like ninety eight different things. I know, that's a lot violent conduct.
Apparently, that okay, good, because I want That's what I wanted to talk about here, John, This is not dog So so I'll let you run through the thing, but I'll explain why the red card was given for what it was given for.
So knew who sent off for violent conduct?
Well wait a second, let me see if this is in fact the correct match first and foremost, because God knows knew who.
Yeah, knew who's had his fair share.
Knew who is knew who is a Oh no, this is like old Okay, so knew who red card?
Hang on, I need to figure out how to find these match reports literally, because again, when a referee reports this both writes it in his book and reports it to the league, there is a okay.
So so all right, so I have one report saying that it was foul as the last defender, which I don't think it was.
It wasn't, and that's why I want to talk about it. Yeah, this is the talking point of the morning with it.
Okay.
So I'm looking at trying to figure out why knew who got sent off and.
It is literally.
So everyone is sitting here saying that it was last defender in references and I am not seeing anything to the contrary about it being something other than last defenders. So let's go through the play. We can't show it because we get dinged from the official police type folks. But so as we as we walk through the play, as we are wont to do, as we do these things,
so long pass. It's a big switch going from left to right, and it is this is this beautiful past late late in the fifty first minute, so Long up the right hand side and Laborda heads it down to himself Knew who basically grabs Laborda and it's almost to the point to where it is a it is a hog caller. Literally, you're you're you're grabbing and Knew who grabs Laborda on his near shoulder, left shoulder, and Base rips and pulls and spins Laborda down and it's an
easy call. But they're saying from there are reports that say that it was because Knew, who was the last defender between Laborda and the net, it's given the call.
And I'm like, no, it's he's not.
And that's the problem that I have with this is I do think it's fair to say that at the time of the foul there aren't many defenders back. But I'll tell you why. I don't think this is dog sell. But it is still a red card.
Yeah, no, yeah, that is true.
Yeah, to me, it's not dog soo because I think when you look at the defenders, I think it's fair to say knew who was the last defender, right, but there are other defenders in the area and the reason there are other defenders in their area who have a
playable chance on the ball. Right, that's not the official terminology, but we're looking at like, can can you in theory defend this play right, not even with in theory, in realistic expectation within this play the distance and direction toward goal or why I don't think this is dog so because this is he is still far out in the far right channel about twenty five yards from the touch line or excuse me, from the goal line, possibly at that point. I'm not good at math, but that's at
least thirty five yards from goal itself. If I'm looking at trit econometry, there you know sign co signed tangent. I I don't think this is dog so for those reasons, and I don't even think you could say that even in those reasons, he's the last defender. I think there are two other defenders who again are in a reasonable, reasonable position. Especially is it roll Don who's playing in that left center back role for them, maybe is making a recovery run that in my opinion.
That was not rolled on.
It's the other one who if knew, who doesn't make this play. It's probably going to be based on how we're moving making a play on the ball, or at least within reason and able to get there. So I do not agree that this is dog. So, however, John, this is serious foul play. Yes, this is a red card.
You cannot horse collar tackle someone like this. I mean, how many times have you seen that in a high school or college or pro game on the high on the foot on the American football side of things, mister foot, mister Georgia high school football.
And you know, the.
Back judge, side judge, line judge, all would have had their flags out on this one because this is this is this is penalty, this personal foul penalty, right, and so from that standpoint, this is absolutely a red card. I just disagree slightly that it's dogs. So I do think though that it's serious foul play, possibly violent conduct. But I'll give him serious foul play because it's within the realm of trying to play soccer.
Yeah, sure, some folks might sit there and say that there are times when knew who doesn't, But well, yeah, uh, the only thing I'm seeing, literally the only thing I am seeing.
It's possible they wrote it that way. It is because this is the thing, John, This red card is not going to go to var No, because this is on multiple counts of red card, Like, this is not a clear and obvious error. No, So I'm sure the referee wrote dog.
Sell was not for anybody else.
Well, yeah, the referee may have wrote in his book dogs or foul as elastpin or whatever their code is, and that probably is what made it to the match report. I think had you had a chance to look at this, they would agree that it's not dog sew. But it's still a red card worthy. But still it's still violent conduct, serious play, some of those things. And to be fair, sometimes you kind of have to combine a lot of things. It's at least stopping a promising attack, and it's at
least a reckless foul. And while you don't necessarily put those together an equal red, it's it's all red. You know, it all comes out red in the wash, you know. Yeah, it's a bad foul. John, This is this is bad. I I would not be surprised if there is a fine coming his way because of the nature of this foul. H I don't I don't know if it's worthy any more suspension. I don't know. That's up to the Disco committee because again, it's not violent conduct. I don't think
it's sad. It's within the realm of playing soccer. This is literally a soccer play. Yeah, but I mean this is at least a flight a flagrant too.
You know, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is.
So he'll get suspended his match, maybe maybe two uh, whatever the penalties are. And then and I would imagine he'll get a fine. I don't know if there'll be more than that, because again it's not like he threw a punch or play with stopped and he did this.
If that makes sense, No, it does. It absolutely sound.
And then, of course, though I haven't seen one like this in a very long time. Yeah, And so three minutes later, three minutes later, Jonathan Bell.
By the way, a lot happened within those three minutes in the match too, which is kind of the fun part. It's like it wasn't like, oh well and they did it again. No, there was stuff that happened within the match. Yeah, Vancouver mounted like at least two attacks and then yeah, I'll let you walk through it because it's yeah.
And so legitimately you're like, yeah, knew, who gets the red And then you have activity in the middle. Then you have a shot just why to the target in the fifty fourth and so Stephen Fry is getting ready to go. Now then you end up with once again another long ball over the top and then just contact from.
Bell and Bell's minimal contact. I hate it for him, but.
Belle's like no, no, no, no no, and then it's it. It's like literally John Bell just like he grabs briefly and it's almost like a clicking. It's almost like a clicking of the boots. And then Priso goes down and then you see Bell go no no, no, no no, and then it goes red card and literally it's yeat the well. And the thing is is that it is clicking of the boots one each and then Preso worse by contact with himself and makes it. Then his own
contact with himself is what makes him go down. Now, so clicking of the boots and then hits himself goes down just outside the eighteen and then that's a red.
Yeah.
I do hate this for Bell. This is a soft red card in the sense that, look, the foul is minimal at best, but he clearly trips them. I mean you can see it. He very clearly trips them. He very clearly makes contact with him. But he is in the position here where while there may be other defenders in the realm, right, they are on the field in a generally same area. This the reason why this is definitely dogged so is because you're looking at the distance to goal and the direction of play, and he is
pretty much going in on goal. The foul happens. I don't know, would you say that nineteen yards out?
I mean, that's that's sorry, it's Emmanual Sobby. It's not rough priso, but yeah, it is on Emmanuel Sabby. Yeah, just outside the eighteen.
It's it's very close to I mean, he's lucky that he didn't take another step or two and that could have possibly just been a penalty, which means he wouldn't have got a red card, by the way, but it's dogged so unfortunately for him, and that's why he gets in off. It's not a particularly bad foul. It's maybe clumsy, but you know, it's not a bad foul. This would have This happens a lot in soccer where you just
catch someone's ankle and that, yeah, that's a foul. But because of the distance, the direction of goal, of the distance that the I mean, the player is very clearly in control of the ball, it's dog.
So for all those reasons, Okay, so explain why it would not be a red in that situation, because I know a lot of folks will sit there and they'll go dog so red when it's either one or the other and not both, so.
Dog so red and dog so yellow. We really only reserve dog so yellow for fouls inside the penalty area that are denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. But the fouls have to be in some way, shape or form within a natural soccer play. So this would have been I think in that conversation it is tripping. It's not like he yanked him down from behind or just ran into him right he is with There is nothing and again we're not judging intent, but there's nothing serious about this.
There's nothing cynical about this. There's nothing to the point of like, oh, well, he clearly didn't have a chance. He's just trying to run and catch up with the dude and he clips him from behind. Right, So in that case, this is a natural soccer play, if that makes any sense, Like this is something we see all the time in the game where people are running next to each other. It's fine. He just happens to be half a step slower and clips him on the heels.
So if that happens inside the penalty area, yes it's still dogs. So but because we give a penalty kick, we do not want to punish the team more than already giving them a penalty kick, which in today's day and age, is very much likely going to result in a goal. I think the actually a penalty kick is still like point seventy three, so you know, the chances
are you're scoring that even with Stephan frying goal. And so we don't want to what be called put them in double jeopardy where they are now down a goal and down a man. So, oh, I don't even know how long it's been, maybe ten years now they removed that aspect of the dog. So inside a penalty area for a common foul, if that's the best way to put it.
Yeah, So that was that was why I wanted to because folks will sit there and they'll wave at one, and they'll sit there and go, well, why wasn't it both? And that was why I wanted to walk through that because there are times where you'll you'll see literally you will see fans who might be watching a match or they'll be at a match and they'll sit there and look, well, why wasn't it you know, A and B as opposed to A or so.
For example, John, a handball inside the penalty area for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. That's a red card because duh, that's not an actual soccer Player're not allowed
to use your hands on the sport. Another one could be so for example, maybe not quite what new Who did, but grabbing someone by the shoulder and pulling them down could be seen as not a soccer play, right that is, especially from behind like that you could still give a red card for that, but like you know, just slightly being off on your on your challenge shoulder to shoulder, that slightly miss, not really tripping from behind, and this instance not really so again, common fouls that are still
dogs o. And this is a perfect example, right, this is John. Look, this is a common foul. I don't think again, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Look, you trip them, it's fine, But you happen to be the last defender on a goal scoring opportunity, and therefore the foul to not the obvious goal scoring opportunity. It's dog soa it's red card. If that happens in the penalty area, it's probably just yellow. It should be just too yellow and get the penalty kick.
So okay, all right, so you are heading north? So when are you heading north and getting everything?
My greyhound bus leaves at four thirty eight, a very precise time. So I'm taking a grand Hound up and then I'm coming back tomorrow after the game with some of the friends who are going up tomorrow. They you know, must be nice to not real jobs. They can drive up and back. I'm kidding. They have real jobs.
They just have the.
Ability to drive up and back the same day. I don't. I gotta work tomorrow. I saw I'm working from Nashville tomorrow.
There, don't tell my boss that you're working from Nashville.
No, I've I've got it cleared. I was like, I'm working from home on Tuesday.
Yes, I'm working from home on Tuesday. Yes, absolutely true. It's just a home happens to be wherever the laptop. Yeah. No, I'm right there with you, all right. So the most recent episode of the Soccer for US pod is out.
What else do we need?
We may record Wednesday, depending on what my energy levels are to recap these friendlies and look at the Gold Cup. I think our goal is to get an idea of who we think are starting eleven should be for the Gold Cup. But as we discussed in the last episode, that's even still tricky because are you putting your best eleven out against Trinidad when probably the most important game is that game against Saudi Arabia Or do you just say, look,
we got to get all points that we can. We're putting our best eleven out there as best as possible, as many times as possible. That's the kind of the balancing act. Now, if you remember John, the Gold Cup schedule fields compressed. You go Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, but then you get a whole week off because the quarterfinals don't start until Saturday, the twenty eighth yeah, twenty eight, and so we'll either play the twenty eighth or twenty ninth for a semi final, and then you play a quarter
excuse me, a quarterfinals. Then you have semi finals midweek final on a Sunday, So it's like two compressed schedules, but you get a whole week off in between them. So that's the question of how much do you put out there in that group stage to beat Trinidad, to beat Haiti. I would argue, John, you need to run up the score as much as possible against Trinidad because Saudi is a good team and you can't guarantee you're
gonna win that game. So if you go out there and put ten on Trinidad hopeful that puts you in a good position even if you don't beat Saudi Arabia but still don't lose. If you tie them, you know you're still feeling good, especially Haiti on the last match
day as well to possibly get some more goals. So it's just tricky, John, I think that's the hard part about this, these two friendlies with the not having the first choice guys, is if you're using these friendlies to learn about Gold Cup positioning, great if you're using these friendlies to learn about who can and can't compete at
a World Cup later, possibly also good. But it's just kind of tough because I feel like you got a lot of goals that aren't necessarily How do we get the best twenty six together next summer?
Yeah, so obviously we're going to be watching and keeping an eye and following along as we go through.
I do have a question, John, if you'll let me sure, Planet John, Sorry, Planet John, not you John, Planet John. In the chat, what where is the link to this Athletico Dallas stadium plans Because the only thing I've seen regarding them is the training facility plans, which look great, and the you know, the big multi million dollars soccer complex.
So I'd love to see where you're seeing the stadium plan discussion, because that's been one of my harp the things I've harped on is a lot of USL teams who claim they're going to somehow massive, magically be better than MLS teams when pro rel gets instituted don't have stadiums of their own. And I think that's a vital piece of the pie here that no one's really factoring in but I would love to see that because I
think Athletico Dallas fantastic crust. I'd love to see what they're going to do with it.
Yes, and so obviously keeping on all of that, we know what our title game is going to be in USL Super Zigue, and we will see what it looks like elsewhere in and around everything. Just be safe going up there, have fun, and make sure that you take a lot of notes, and this is going to be
your busy time, a lot of notes. Yes, Yeah, well, it's going to be your busy time with us involving everything, involving the national teams, involving Gold Cup, and we're we're going to budget you with the actual paying gigs as best we can as always.
John can, I can I also share a conspiracy theory? Sure, USL Super League? Sure, where is the us L headquarter?
I believe it is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Okay, And both of these teams that made the final are from which.
State I believe that would be Florida.
So yes, couldn't have written a better script for him? Yeah, well, I mean it's I'm joking they earned it, but yeah, it's just kind of it's coincidental, ain't it?
And where is the where is the championship game being played?
I believe that will be in the great city, mildly good city of Tampa, Florida.
See, I'm actually and it's and it's and it's at that that constructed beautiful riverfront, bayfront medium that that that hosts the the Tampa Bay Sun.
So yep, uh yeah, so four be good for them. I think this has been fun.
Yeah, it's going to be fun. So we'll keep an eye on it as we go. Enjoy the rest of your day, my friend. Obviously, we'll keep an eye on you and what's going on with everything going on with the soccer for us PO D. Don't be a stranger.
Follow me at soccer for us POD on Twitter and Blue Sky. You'll keep up with the fun right there.
Yeah, at soccer for USPOD all right, be good. But yeah, all right, there goes bart and so Rich. Good to see you popping in to say hi, as always, nice to have you here. All right, so let's get into all of the other news. Apparently, as it is laid out the code, the the release clause for Thomas Frank has laid out to about ten pounds and so that is the that is the the check that has to be cut for Thomas Frank to be going from Brentford to.
Spurs.
And so keep an eye on the the ten million, the ten million dollars that goes from one place to the next. And so we will see, we will see what the latest is there when it comes to that particular matchup. Souh, ten million, that's what we were, That's what we're staring at. So ten million is the it is the number for Thomas Frank to be laid out to go from one place.
To the other.
So that's that's what we'll keep an eye on when it comes to that particular matchup and that particular new line on his new line on his dossier, his CV. And so that's where uh, that's that's where we are when it comes to that. Let's see, I'm trying to think of what other stuff I had that was listed. Oh oh oh oh oh, yeah, we got to talk about that, all right.
So we know that it looks like.
The wages for the Club World Cup are a bit of an issue at the moment, and you have players for Major League Soccer who are less than pleased with the layout of how much, who's getting what and where? So you've got.
Where is it? Where is it? Where's where is it? Where's it? It's in the news section. Where's my news section? Here?
I don't need I need headlines, but I don't need Uh.
Where was it?
And so it's like I go to the one place where I thought I could find it, and then of course, uh.
Where is it? Where is it? Where is It's?
Not?
There? Not there?
Not there Portugal beating Spain third straight loss. Nations League reaction. That was not what I was looking for. But okay, all right, so what if we did this? So if we go here and get that? Okay, so here we go. This is from Lizzie Bescherano. At all, discussions between MLS and the pa up prize money and player compensation remain on going, two sides failing to agree so far on terms.
In a newly revised section of the CBA Seattle Players once again we mentioned that with the t shirts, MLSPA initially released a statement and supported the player's actions two parties demanding a fair share of the Club World Cup prize money team secured and qualified for the international tournament. Original CBA stated players received fifty percent of the money from outside tournaments with a cap of a million dollars.
Source with knowledge of the discussions told the Four Letter that a revised proposal from MLS committed to grant players on the three participating teams twenty percent of the performance related payments for wins, draws, and round advancement. Players collectively would receive a million dollars for participation, in addition to
any money earned for victory's draws around callification throughout the tournament. Separately, LAFC earned a quarter of a million dollars collectively for the victory against Clubamerica in the playoff May thirty first to secure a spot in the tournament. MLSPA received the proposal back on Friday. Source with knowledge of the discussions added MLSPA demanded a larger percentage, but has not formally
responded to the league's proposal. In a statement, however, MLSPA called the actions taken by MLS as quote, retaliatory, end quote, and unsatisfactory quote. In the statement, the timing, substance and retaliatory nature of the proposal sends a clear message MLS does not respect or value players' efforts with regard to this tournament. Although not surprised, the players in MLSPA deeply
disappointed by this message. MLS's refusal to negotiate in good faith has created a major distraction for the players who should be focusing on preparing for a major international competition. However, players will not be silenced by threats from MLS. Players remain united in using their collective voice in demanding a fair share of the rewards earned for their hard work.
End Quote organization later added that MLS introduced quote back end compensation of twenty percent, an amount that remains below the international standard end quote and also Quote did not add a single dollar for players from the twenty eight million, six hundred and fifty thousand dollars win fall that MLS will be paid by FIFA. According to the MLSPA, the player's share of that amount remains at barely ten percent. Two sides have yet to agree on new terms, making
the current CBA the standard of work. Stoppage by MLS players over the bonus dispute isn't possible due to provisions in the CBA. Under the current CBA, players have agreed not to strike over issues that fall within the scope of the agreement, but they still have the right to engage in protected actions under federal labor law. And once again that is from Jeff Carlisle and Lizzie Bescherano when it comes to the latest involving all of those numbers, and trust me, it's a lot of numbers that are
attached to all of it. I'm trying to see if there is anything else that.
Would be attached to the latest.
It's like so nothing there, nothing there, nothing there. Edward of Tansley at the Athletic as of the overnight once again best clubs in the world. What do I need to know about the lesser known teams? Auckland City the only reps from Oceania have won the Champions League there eleven times in fourteen years. Botha Fogo ad E and f groups only have one European team, so teams from another continent will progress to the Round of sixteen from these groups. In group H Al Hilal and Pachuca should
challenge Salzburg for second behind Real Madrid. Obviously, the favorites are PSG, who once again demolished Inter Milan five mil in the Champions League final. Real Madrid obviously attached Manchester City.
That's attached.
You've got a lot of the big names that are attached as well. Real Madrid will have Shabi Alonso in the dugout and former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander Arnold set to make his Madrid debut after they paid the fee for him to join for the tournament. Liam d Lapp could make his debut for Chelsea. Inter Milan will have a new manager, expected to be former defender Christian Chievu
after Inzagi left for Al Hilal. Other deals could see Jonathan Toff feature for Bayern Munich and Georgino for Flamingo. So that is that's what you're that's what you're looking at. But remember right now, you've got grass being installed at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Grass grass, grass, grass, So we'll see what happens. We'll see what happens there. What to watch, Where to watch it, how to watch it. It's a
light day today. World Cup qualifying Italy and Moldova's at two forty five and International Friendly coming up at noon Eastern Liechtenstein and Scotland. Both of those are on FS two. Fox deport As is in the middle of a broadcast the U twenty tournament, the Maurice Riveo, Panama and France at the bottom of the hour of Fox Soccer, plus as World Cup qualifying Kazakhstan and North Macedonia going on right now, should be started the second half and at
two forty five it is Estonia and Norway. And speaking of qualifying, I saw this and this was kind of like a really cool h This was a really cool stat from our friends at I want to say it was at the sweeper Pod, but it has to do with our friends at San Marino. And the wild thing about this is you have the possibility and this came out yesterday of San Marino having a thirty four percent chance to reach the World Cup playoffs. And you know
how we are about our friends from San Marino. Their most probable semi final opponent if they make it of this weekend would be Italy first and foremost sixteen percent chance, and then Turquilla at eleven percent. Then it would be Ukraine, Denmark, Croatia, Belgium, Switzerland and France. That's your top eight and most probable semi final opponents. To reach the playoffs, San Marino needs both Romania and Sweden to finish top two in their
World Cup qualifying groups. The list of most likely playoff opponents for every European team is once again available for our friends from our friends at Football Meets Data. But the fact that San Marino of all countries has a thirty four percent chance of reaching the World Cup playoffs and our friends at sweeper Pod san Marino versus Italy, and it would be the first time I think that you have a completely and totally landlocked playing another.
Nation to be a part of the tournament. So you got that, You've got that to hang on to.
Other news just to kind of wander around before we get out of here today. And once again we've mentioned, We've mentioned Thomas Frank. We mentioned Thomas Frank once again. That's about another forty eight hours. Keep an eye on that. Newcastle is stepping up their pursuit of Pedro after missing out on Brian and Buomo and apparently also according to Newcastle and our friend Luke Edwards at the Telegraph, the club's deals are being blocked by prices and restrictions because
of PSR. Newcastle growing increasingly frustrated by rival clubs putting a Saudi tax on transfer Saudi taxing quotation marks and refusing to be held to ransom over key targets. Telegraphs Port have been kind of privy to the negotiations for players of mid warnings there's not enough money to spend large amounts on each of the four players they want to sign. Senior club sources believe a so called Saudi tax has plagued the club since to take over the PIF.
As a result, they're.
Trying to explain to rival clubs that there is a warped perception of their spending power. They remain heavily restrained by PSR profit and sustainability. New contract for Esach also in the pipeline. Talks are expected to start in next month. Newcastle can't spend upward of sixty pounds on players when wages are also a consideration. Although the sale of Mickey and Lloyd Kelly brought in around twenty five and has given Newcastle some flexibility, there isn't a lot of headroom.
According to Luke Edwards, Newcastle targeting a keeper looks like it's Burnley's James Trafford, center back, right sided forward and a striker, depending on player sales and other midfielder could arrive, especially if long staff is expected to depart, so an example of the whole Saudi tax thing comes within Boomo as an example, Cameronian was identified as a leading target two weeks ago, but once again the wage demands as well as the transfer fee of more than sixty million
pounds proved to be too expensive a deal to pursue, and Boomo would have likely been their highest earner if he had signed. That would have inevitably prompted others at the club to ask for parody, which moves your wage bill up.
And then if you don't sign folks.
To match what Brian and Buomo would have been making, then you got pissed off people that are playing for you, that are on your roster. Negotiations with ESAC will what will be difficult, according to Edwards, bringing in new players on significantly more money than that. Once again it's fraught with danger. Semeno and Ilanga have been discussed extensively, born with the Nottingham Forest. Jew Pedro another player who's been repeatedly scouted, seen as a strong potential signing, but Jeel
Pedro's price tag could be upward of seventy million pounds. Then, once again, the mount outbound plus the wage bill could make it difficult for you, and so that's where your cycle is. James Mcattee is liked by Eddie how could be available for twenty five not getting in a first team minutes under Pep Guardiola at City. Mohammed Kudus is another player that they're looking at at west Ham. Mark
gay Hee is valued at around forty million. Crystal Palace of explored a deal involving Usban Diamande if gay He goes, and so that Luke Edwards article over at the Telegraph kind of breaks down what it looks like right now for folks to chase after things inside the walls at Newcastle and they have to be very very careful about how they're going to be spending their money so they don't fall in line and violate PSR. So that's the
largest element there involving our friends at Newcastle. Then in mckail, Antonio is nearing an exit as apparently he and west Ham cannot agree on terms. We've mentioned Robert Lewandowski before we get out of here. Lewandowski says, as long as Probierre's is the coach, he ain't gonna play. He's been left feeling betrayed and very hurt by Probierres after quitting the setup because of a row over losing the captaincy, stripped of the armband on Sunday by Probierres, who is
appointed midfielder Peter Zelinsky as captain instead. Lewandowski then announced he was quitting the national team, citing a loss of trust in the coach, refusing to return to play for his country as long as the coach remains in charge. It's been in charge since twenty three. Lee led the team at the Euros last summer quote, I hope I will still have another chance to play again for the
best fans in the world. Lewandowski was scathing in his criticism of how Probierres handled the situation, quote, I haven't been captain for a year or two. I've been wearing the armband for eleven years. I've been playing for the national team for seventeen. Seemed to me that such matters should be handled differently. Everything was communicated over the phone. Really shouldn't be like this. The coach betrayed my trust. The national team has always been the most important thing
to me. At the same time, I'm very hurt by what has happened. It's not even about the decision regarding the armband, but about the way it was communicated to me.
End quote.
Press conference Monday, Probier said he called Lewandowski Sunday night from Finland or Poland play on Tuesday. Robert replied, the armband means nothing and it won't change anything in the team. According to Probier's about a second call later that evening, Probiers said, quote, he told me to make it sound like he had given up the armband. I replied that I wouldn't do that. Later I learned from the media that Robert had given up playing for the national team.
No one is closing the door on him, but I wish him luck. There are situations in life when you get offended and then you move on. In football, you can't get offended. When I asked whether he considered retiring from international football altogether, Lewandowski also accused Probiers of caving into media pressure and breaking agreements. Lewandowski said, I want to sit down and think about it all calmly. You need to catch my breath and I will be able to say more about my thoughts and what's next.
Today.
There is regret and anger. I've always cared a lot about the national team. Nothing has changed in that respect.
End quote.
So one hundred and fifty eight appearances, forty nine more than a Yakablajakowski pull in face Finland and Helsinki Tuesday night, trying to get their one hundred percent record and keep that intact for qualifying for the World Cup for twenty six. So that's your rundown of everything going on today. I'm sure we've left some news on the table, and I apologize for that, but we'll be back at it again
tomorrow morning at nine oh five. Lucas Panziku's going to be calling the match for UH Westwood one along with Jamie Watson going to join us bat and lead off. We'll see if Jamie can join us too. We'll get you through your Tuesday. We'll talk about what happened in the weekend in Major League Soccer outside of the Double Reds in Seattle. Get you ready for Club World Cup, get you ready for Gold Cup, get you ready for all the things. Wednesday, once again, traditionally it is Tyler,
it is Dylan, and we'll get you ready there. Thursday it's Nino and Nico. Friday will get you ready for the weekend, very very busy weekend across the board. There's a lot of ish going on, and I mean that in the most official way possible. There's a lot of stuff. Gold Cup, Club, World Cup, MLS, it's all happening all at once, and we'll talk about it here the whole time before we get out of here, David, is the spending PSR issue just new or more of an issue now?
Or is this more like the other things in the news coverage? Is that much better than before? Huh h?
I mean I think that it's probably more vigilant now, So it might be the latter where spending in PSR you just kind of were like, okay, well and then when something happened, you're like, oh, it happened. But now with everybody keeping an eye on things, I'd like to attribute it to journalism and chasing after things and making sure that folks are kept abreast of all the situations. But we'll see, so, yeah, we'll see, we'll see what
it is. But i'd like to attribute it to journalism being somewhat self serving in all that where you've got a lot of folks who are trying to get stories and that's the other thing in this. Make sure that the stories and the sourcing that you see in these kinds of things are accurate. Check your sources, check your sources, check your sources. But I'd like to attribute it to journalism.
That's just me.
Uh yeah, and yeah, David, all these well poor rich people seem to want a salary cap. Yeah, because it controls their bottom line and it's not spending out of control that you find in the championship in the second division in England. That's another story for another day for everybody here at SDH. I'm just John. Thanks to Bart, thanks to Abe, thanks to y'all for dropping bys you always do. Back at it again tomorrow once again we'll talk about we'll get the table set for the men's
national team. We'll talk about what happened in MLS on the weekend, anything else that crosses our desk. We'll talk about it all and gets you ready for a very very busy week. Across the board, there installing grass at Mercedes Benz people. At least we'll be able to see it for the next twenty minutes. So they're installing grass.
Keep an eye out on SDH socials. Jason will probably have all the pictures of them rolling out the grass for you and what the conversations are like as they're rolling out the grass getting ready for the Club World Cup, which we will be covering for you across the board. So for everybody here at SDH, I'm just John seeing a little less than twenty two much of plots. Y'all play it safe and since it is the end of the show means I get to do this see you again tomorrow morning.