WEBVTT - ALEXI LALAS: “LIVE” FROM QATAR! 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:14.560 I do get a little crazy, nervous, anxious, excited. I 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:19.439 sometimes play the reverse psychology pessimistic game as a sports fan, 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:21.600 and I'm sure a lot of you can relate to that. 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:24.479 It's so different from what I do for a living, 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:26.760 which is a world of neutrality, where you don't just 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:29.240 try your best to be neutral calling a game. You 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:33.839 actually learn over time to have zero emotional attachment to 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:37.520 the outcome. Viewers don't always believe that, but I promise 0:00:37.600 --> 0:00:39.760 you it's It's the same checklist every time. You want 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:42.720 a close, competitive game, you want some nice plays to 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:45.239 call for the viewers to enjoy, and you want no 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:49.000 serious injuries from the players. That's the same every time. 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:52.600 And I love my job, but there's something about stepping 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:56.520 away from neutrality and just being a fan and being 0:00:56.680 --> 0:01:00.760 heavily emotionally invested. For me, there's just a few things. 0:01:01.200 --> 0:01:03.680 At the top of the list is Colorado Avalanche hockey, 0:01:04.000 --> 0:01:08.000 Chelsea soccer, and of course the US national men's and 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:11.520 women's soccer team when it comes to big international competitions 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:15.080 like the World Cup. So I record this the morning 0:01:15.200 --> 0:01:17.440 after the US has been eliminated in the round of 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:20.960 sixteen by the Netherlands a little deflated. It did happen 0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:25.319 during CFB Championship Saturday, when I was about to go 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:28.160 on the air, so the disappointment was buffered. A day 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:33.000 later I could process it. It's a semi qualified success 0:01:33.120 --> 0:01:36.080 this World Cup in Qatar for the US. They lost 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:39.400 to a superior team, but the way they lost poor 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:44.240 defending lapses in marking was a little bit of a bummer, 0:01:45.240 --> 0:01:48.080 which is why I am so excited to say that 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:54.040 I've got Alexei Lallis as my guest now. Before I 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:56.720 worked with Alexei covering the twenty ten World Cup in 0:01:56.720 --> 0:01:59.840 South Africa, and before he went on to success with Fox, Yes, 0:02:00.000 --> 0:02:05.120 Alexei was a great, proud, tough, passionate player for the 0:02:05.240 --> 0:02:09.320 U S national team, central defender who would score some 0:02:09.360 --> 0:02:13.280 strategic goals, usually with his head off that wild mane 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:18.800 of red hair for which he became globally known. So 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:22.240 Alexei was good enough to come on board, share some 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:24.920 old stories, evaluate the US performance, and at the end 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:27.760 we look ahead to the next World Cup, of course, 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:29.679 which the U S will co host with Canada and 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:34.400 Mexico for years from now. He did this just before 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:37.160 going on the set for Vox to set up the 0:02:37.200 --> 0:02:40.440 next round of games. So it's the shortest ever episode 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:43.760 of this podcast, but it's jam packed with good info, 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:47.600 good stories, and great to connect with. Mail buddy Alexei 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:49.520 lalas part of this podcast. By the way, it was 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:52.560 hijacked by his colleague, my former colleague and my buddy 0:02:52.639 --> 0:02:56.080 Rob Stone. You'll get it when it happens. But in 0:02:56.120 --> 0:03:03.560 the meantime, UH storytelling an analysis with Alexei Lallas from Qatar. Alexei, 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:06.240 I am grateful for your time, every minute of it, 0:03:06.440 --> 0:03:08.600 and Qatar is accounted for, so it's great to see 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:12.600 your smiling face in the afternoon their morning. Here we'll 0:03:12.600 --> 0:03:15.160 tell some stories, will wind the clock back, but I 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:17.080 want to start with what is top of mind for 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:20.160 US soccer fans, and that's your reaction to the World 0:03:20.200 --> 0:03:23.000 Cup Round of sixteen, you know, getting out of the 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:25.280 group but following to the Netherlands. I want to ask 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:27.160 you as an analyst, but first someone to ask you 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:30.320 as a as a passionate fan of US soccer, as 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:32.960 a former great who wore that shirt. So not what 0:03:33.000 --> 0:03:35.160 do you think about it, but what are you feeling 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:38.360 about it? So the day after elimination yeah, because there's 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:41.560 there's two different you know process is there, right, So 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:43.400 what I think and what I feel about it. You 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:45.600 know what I feel about it is. Look, I've been 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:47.960 around a long time, you know, from back in the 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:50.920 nine back in the previous century, running around, and I've 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:55.520 seen the growth of this sport, and so I feel proud, um, 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.000 but I also feel that stuff was left on the table. 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:01.360 And I also feel, for lack of a better word, 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:04.040 it always gets me worried that you know as well 0:04:04.080 --> 0:04:05.880 as I do, that people come into this soccer tent 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:09.320 every four years and it's wonderful because we get a 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:12.160 chance to spread the gospel. But you know, then they 0:04:12.240 --> 0:04:14.920 leave and the impression that they get is really really 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:17.680 important because it leads to the credibility um and it 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:21.760 ultimately leads to more popularization of the sport. And I 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:24.400 hope that they saw a team that when we know 0:04:24.600 --> 0:04:26.400 we all gravitated to it. But I hope that they 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:28.800 saw a team like me that they can be be 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:30.799 proud of. But we also know we're in the American 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:33.599 culture and it's about winning. And while most of the 0:04:33.640 --> 0:04:35.720 things when it comes to America, we are number one, 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:38.400 and when we are winners at you know, unlike our 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.240 women's national team, our men's national team has not been there. 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:44.279 And so I worry that people either leave the tent 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:46.320 or go away from the tent for a little bit, 0:04:46.360 --> 0:04:50.359 thinking that we haven't made progress. But we have made progress, 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:52.600 and I think that this ultimately maybe the time will 0:04:52.600 --> 0:04:55.680 be looked at as a step forward. And it's not 0:04:55.680 --> 0:04:58.400 about moral victories. I I don't want that anymore. But 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:00.599 this was a very young team. This is a team 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:04.280 also with an eye. So that's that's partly in my head, 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:06.840 you know, and that's how I how I feel about it, 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:08.560 you know how I think about it. You know, I'd 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:11.240 give Gregg Berhalter in this team a B solid B 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:13.920 B plus in terms of what they did going undefeated 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:16.679 in group stage and you know, a very difficult group, 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:19.400 playing really well against England. They just picked the worst 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.360 possible moment to have a stinker of a game against Holland, 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:24.800 and still it was there. There was a gift and 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:27.440 we didn't bite the hand, uh and take it right 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:29.560 out of that that Dutch hand. And you know, the 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:31.680 Dutch are a good team and they all they needed 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:33.520 is a couple of chances the ruthlessness that you saw 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:36.040 of the Dutch is something that this team hopefully will 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:38.760 develop over the next four years. Yeah, that's all. Well 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:42.599 put what's tough among other things for US sports fans 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:47.080 of crass but soccer is this sort of like not 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:50.040 knowing how to react about it? Is round of sixteen 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:52.760 good enough? Well? I mean I think the players felt 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:54.560 like there was more. You felt like there was more, 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:56.880 you know, perhaps, And this is this is the story 0:05:56.880 --> 0:05:59.640 of the World Cup for so many nations, the what ifs, 0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:03.039 would shoulda could have? Had you beaten Wales, had you 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:05.560 won the group, you don't play Holland in the round sixteen, 0:06:06.000 --> 0:06:07.400 you have an easier match. I think it would have 0:06:07.400 --> 0:06:10.440 been Senegal, right, so, but but they didn't take those chances. 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:13.040 They didn't win the group, and they made it hard. 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:16.040 And it seems like US soccer only knows one way, 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:18.159 and it's the hard way, right, And it's been that 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:22.360 way since Europe Layer. Yeah, it's you know, it's this weird, 0:06:22.400 --> 0:06:26.080 purgatory type of place that we we inhabit right now 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.480 because yeah, we got out of the group. Well service 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:30.640 First off, qualifying for a men's World Cup is nothing new. 0:06:30.680 --> 0:06:32.359 We have done that That's why it was such a 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:35.640 you know, a massive failure four years ago, but it 0:06:35.720 --> 0:06:38.080 was kind of an anomaly. And so you get back 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:39.960 to the World Cup and you know, we we were 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:41.480 happy to get back to the World Cup, but it's 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:43.280 something that we've done. Getting out of the group is 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:46.919 also something that we have done consistently, um, but getting 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:49.240 out of that round of sixteen, we've only done that once, 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:51.520 back into in two thousand and two where we were 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:53.680 then we went on which was which was wonderful. And 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:56.320 so you're in this moment where you look back at 0:06:56.360 --> 0:06:58.320 history and said, well, we had done better in previous 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:01.159 World Cups, and yet are we more advanced? I mean, 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:03.960 just within this cycle. I think that it's night and 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:06.640 day when it comes to how far this group has 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:09.360 come from that incredible failure of not qualifying for the 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:11.520 two thousand and eighteen World Cup, and it certainly bodes 0:07:11.560 --> 0:07:14.640 well for the future. But I think where you know, 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:17.720 a little hesitation is from from me and others is too. 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:20.520 I mean, it's not an a type of effort because 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:23.640 you didn't find a way to win that game, and 0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:27.280 that was a winnable game against the Dutch, and you 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:29.680 know they finished their chances. The United States didn't finish 0:07:29.720 --> 0:07:32.000 their chances and doing things that we have done as 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:34.000 a soccer play nation for a while. And they're not 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:36.680 And I said it on air, these aren't these involved 0:07:37.000 --> 0:07:42.920 type of uh soccer tactics that take decades and decades 0:07:42.920 --> 0:07:44.920 to figure out. You follow your men in the box. 0:07:44.960 --> 0:07:46.960 I mean, it doesn't matter whether you watch soccer or not. 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:50.960 That's a problem marking men in sports, marking your opponent 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:53.840 in sports, that's you know, that's a constant anywhere. So 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:56.239 that was a little bit disappointing, and not that we lost, 0:07:56.280 --> 0:07:59.040 but kind of how we last exactly As a defender 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:01.720 and and as an analyst, when you and you have 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:05.680 three goals conceded and each time the defenses looking around 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:08.320 at each other like what happened? Where were you? I 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:10.920 mean that that does not look good. And I think 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:13.240 that you're right. It was a bad time to follow 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:15.360 asleep against an opponent unlike some of those in the 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.080 group stage who can really hurt you. And they made 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:20.480 us pay, and we made Holland look better than they are. 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:22.240 Perhaps who knows, maybe they'll go on and make a run. 0:08:22.280 --> 0:08:24.280 I know you've fancied them a little bit as as 0:08:24.280 --> 0:08:26.920 a contending team. But that's the one thing is at 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:28.880 the end of the day, um, you know you're not 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:31.000 gonna get many chances, you have to grab them. We 0:08:31.040 --> 0:08:34.720 didn't early. But but when you look at the result 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:36.400 of a goal and the team was looking around each 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:38.520 other like, wait a minute, we broke down that that's 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:41.360 what was a little deflating to see. Yeah, and it's 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:43.400 it's you know, it's wide open men in the box 0:08:43.600 --> 0:08:46.840 and clear cut chances and and again you know there 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:50.000 there are coaches out there, youth coaches, anybody that's coached 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:53.600 long enough. You talk about being able to watch your 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:55.360 being able to see the ball and being able to 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:58.360 see the man. These are fundamental, basic type of principles 0:08:58.400 --> 0:09:00.600 of soccer. And so I think that's you know, that's 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:03.720 where where it's disappointing. Having said all of that, you 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.040 know that it was you know, we've we've seen this 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:08.760 before in World Cups, where you know, people come together 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:11.080 and as you know, especially in this day and age, 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:14.400 very little brings us together as a nation. And to 0:09:14.600 --> 0:09:17.440 see these, you know, people in their classrooms because this 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:19.680 is the World Cup where it was actually happening during school, 0:09:19.720 --> 0:09:21.760 which is something that was unique. So to see the 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:24.120 classrooms and the and the cool teachers and the cool 0:09:24.480 --> 0:09:27.200 schools that kind of embraced it and used it even 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:29.040 as lesson plans than all that kind of stuff. And 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:32.120 everybody's screaming and young people in airplanes and obviously the 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.760 bars and the fan fests and all that. That was 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:37.320 pretty cool to just see that happen. And sometimes you're 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:39.720 in kind of this this bubble of a World Cup, 0:09:39.840 --> 0:09:42.000 and now with this technology age that we live in, 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:45.560 we can see what's happening back home, and um, you know, 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:47.960 I don't have fow move to, you know, because I 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:49.640 get to do the best job in the world here. 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:51.320 But it was kind of cool to see all of 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:54.160 these people celebrating this game back in a country and 0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:57.360 culture that you know, we're constantly pushing that boulder up 0:09:57.400 --> 0:09:59.640 the hill and it you know, it made my old 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:02.920 stock heart very very happy to see that happening. Absolutely, 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:05.240 I agree, and I can say it from this set 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:08.200 of the Atlantic, the energy was there. And roll Lett's 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:11.960 remember too, it's not easy to progress in the World Cup. 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:15.880 We have one reaction, but but for Germany, for Belgium, 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:19.800 from Mexico, it's an unqualified disaster to be stopped in 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:22.679 group stage. I talk about it in college football. You know, 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:27.160 if if people want a comparison, Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:30.880 not winning their division, not winning their conference, not contending it, 0:10:31.000 --> 0:10:35.320 and and that is different because it happens every four years. 0:10:35.480 --> 0:10:39.120 And Germany have struggled. So we did something those soccer 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:42.520 powers and much more talented teams didn't do. So yeah, 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:45.640 sixteen teams went home. And you know, look, we've I've 0:10:45.679 --> 0:10:48.560 watched Olympics, I've worked Olympics. You you know, you've you've 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:50.600 seen it and worked it. And you know, sometimes when 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:52.840 you see these sports like where it comes down to 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:57.160 you know, ten seconds is the entire you know, synopsis 0:10:57.240 --> 0:11:00.960 and uh and career and you're judged on you It 0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:03.719 blows your mind sometimes to see that. Obviously soccer is 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:05.480 a little longer in terms of a game, but it 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:08.840 but it still does come down two minutes And is 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.520 it right? Is it fair to judge athletes just on 0:11:11.559 --> 0:11:14.040 those moments? It doesn't matter, you know, Soccer isn't fair. 0:11:14.040 --> 0:11:15.800 In life isn't fair. This is the way the way 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:18.720 that it is. And ultimately Greg Berhalter is the coach 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:21.680 knows this, and these players know that this can be 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:24.720 defining and that we left a little bit on the 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.360 table just means that we have, you know, still still 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:29.880 some ways to go. But you know, as the saying goes, 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:33.520 you've come a long way, baby, and soccer certainly has. 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:36.160 And this isn't me being Pollyanna, This isn't me asking 0:11:36.160 --> 0:11:38.880 for blind faith out there when it comes to our 0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:41.640 soccer teams or just our soccer in general. It's just 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:44.680 maybe some perspective that I've gotten over the years and 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:47.319 seeing how, you know, how the game has played, how 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:49.600 the game is coached, I mean, how even how it's 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:52.920 how it's broadcast, and how that has evolved, you know, 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:55.120 and the world over here in this incredible set for 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:58.000 Fox over here, and you know we've seen over the 0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:00.800 years how it's been that broadcast. Then bringing it to 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:03.439 you know, a country and culture that's really really unique 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:05.920 because it's not just about the U. S team. It's 0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:09.160 about all of these different teams and are melting pot 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:11.160 that is the United States in the United States and 0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:14.240 all this incredible diversity that we have, you know, giving 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:18.120 people their teams and it's not always the the US team, 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:20.760 but ultimately giving them a steady diet of soccer. And 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:22.640 you know, as you mentioned, I still got another two 0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:26.080 weeks here and and we've been through this where the 0:12:26.120 --> 0:12:28.960 home team goes out and right, and there's this deflating 0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:32.000 of the balloon, right, but you gotta pick it up. 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.959 And as pros were right back in here today and hell, 0:12:35.080 --> 0:12:37.760 you know we got we got France and Embobe here 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:40.200 that I get to call. So I'm incredibly fortunate privilege 0:12:40.240 --> 0:12:42.160 to be able to do this messy still in the 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:44.160 tournament where and all of that still in the tournament. 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:46.480 It just goes on and on and on. And if 0:12:46.480 --> 0:12:49.320 you really if you got excited about the US team 0:12:49.320 --> 0:12:52.000 playing soccer in the World Cup, there's plenty more you 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:54.280 will fall in love with this game. And there's plenty 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:56.160 more as this World Cup goes on, and you know 0:12:57.080 --> 0:12:59.240 is coming to and that's gonna be a fun. That's 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:00.920 gonna be a fun and you're both on and off 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:02.400 the field for what it means for soccer in the 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:04.520 United States and to to to a certain stent in 0:13:04.559 --> 0:13:07.160 Canada and Mexico. We'll circle back, I want to finish 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:08.760 with that as we look ahead to the next World Cup. 0:13:08.800 --> 0:13:11.200 But let's spend back. You and I sat next to 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:15.360 each other in Pretoria, South Africa, for a situation somewhat 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:17.640 similar to the U. S Iran game. They had to 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:19.640 be at Algeria to go through, to not go through. 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:22.360 It had been a disaster. Algeria a very beautiful opponent, 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:26.120 but it wasn't happening, and they had had chances, Us 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:29.480 had had chances. And we're sitting there in this not 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:31.840 a very glamorous stadium, kind of an old stadium, not 0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:35.160 one of the show place venues in South Africa, and 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:38.840 we are preparing for a post mortem. Right It's the 0:13:38.880 --> 0:13:40.880 last game in the group stage. If they don't get 0:13:40.880 --> 0:13:43.280 the win, they go home. It's gonna be crushing. I 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:46.320 can feel the emotion from you next to me. I 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:49.240 didn't play, but obviously I'm emotionally invested. And all of 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:52.400 a sudden, that that goal that landed Donovan scores. He 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:54.480 had Andreas Cantor as a guest in the podcast. He 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:58.280 talked about calling it in Spanish. I've talked to, obviously, 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:01.360 lots of folks who have experience, and you said ten seconds, 0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:04.640 and that was a ten seconds change the World Cup, change, 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:07.480 the life of Donovan and so many other players. But 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:11.520 but that emotional ride, we we were we were deflated, depressed, 0:14:11.600 --> 0:14:14.240 and then there were literally tears of joy I think 0:14:14.280 --> 0:14:16.679 from you after Donovan scot and we won the group. 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:19.320 It was nuts, it was not And you know, listen, 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:21.640 I had so much fun, you know, working with you 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:24.080 and others, and I learned so much from you. And 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:27.000 obviously I've I've continued on and and you know, being 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:29.560 with Fox and working World Cups, Men's and women's and 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:33.080 stuff like that. But you know, TV is something that 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:35.600 I have been so fortunate to come into and to 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:37.920 learn from the likes of you and and other greats, 0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:41.040 whether it was ESPN and at Fox, and continue on 0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:44.360 and to see you guys work and to understand what 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:47.520 goes on and how the sausage is made. Um, it 0:14:48.360 --> 0:14:51.560 was incredibly changing in terms of the way that I 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:54.520 did did my job. And then you know, to be 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:57.600 talking about a game that I love at at a 0:14:57.640 --> 0:15:01.240 World Cup in these incredible moments, and to experience that 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:05.240 emotion now not as a player, but talking about it 0:15:05.280 --> 0:15:08.080 and you know, hopefully being able to in a you know, 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:10.880 a to be able to articulate and to be able 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:14.240 to tell the story in in you know, hopefully an 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:17.800 interesting and entertaining type of way. Um. You know, talk 0:15:17.840 --> 0:15:20.080 about coming a long way. I've come along a long 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:22.640 way since then, but a lot of the foundation that 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:24.560 I still use today with stuff that I learned with 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:28.000 you and others and others there. It literally changed the 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:30.280 way that I that I do my job because I 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.200 understood how it was done. But you never you never 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.080 lose that love and that, you know, the beauty that 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:38.440 comes from the game, the passion that you have, the 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:41.520 emotion that comes out, and and it's you can't control 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:45.800 it con apologize for one second about having the wrong emotion. 0:15:45.920 --> 0:15:48.720 Fans look to you for that. That's a moment where 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:52.400 they could say, Alexei Lallas, I remember him playing, but 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:54.920 he's one of us too, because you're allowed to care 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.440 in the World Cup and that kind of a moment, Alexei, 0:15:57.480 --> 0:15:59.320 where we weren't calling it, We're just watching it and 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:02.040 then getting ready to react to it. But that kind 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:06.160 of a thing where where careers change on a dime 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:09.600 because at one ball put in the net just in 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:11.000 the nick of time, and I thought that was a 0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:14.200 beautiful woman. I've talked about that where you know, hey, 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:16.160 it's okay to get choked up. Yeah, we have to 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:19.520 have some distance, and you've become this wise stage, you know, 0:16:20.040 --> 0:16:23.440 delivering perspective. It only comes over time. I think that's 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:25.080 that's sort of your your role in a in a 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:30.880 knee jerk, no context reaction, short attention span world, that's 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:33.520 what you're there to sort of counter, I think, in 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:36.240 your role. But in that moment in ship, I mean 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:39.400 that we were prepared to do a post mortem and 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:41.480 it was a celebration that was fun. And don't don't 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:44.040 never lose the rawness and the heart that you bring 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:46.120 to it. Man, I am preciate. I can't. I mean, 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:48.320 even if I tried, I couldn't. I I couldn't do it. 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:51.080 And and sometimes you know when when all the crap 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:55.320 is flying around and you know you're you're incredible at 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:58.640 being able to still get the job done with all 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:01.640 the craziness sometimes that live sports bring. And that's why 0:17:01.880 --> 0:17:04.359 I know you love live sports. I love live sports, 0:17:04.359 --> 0:17:06.440 and there's there's nothing like it. And it is becoming 0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:09.960 actually more and more unique and valuable as we go 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:12.040 on in this in this world that seems to be 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:16.400 packaged to end and already kind of predestined live sports 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:19.240 are where it's at because you don't know what is 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:21.920 going to happen, and you need people like yourself to 0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:24.520 be able to steer the ship and make sure that 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:27.800 people stay on course, but also, like you said, to 0:17:27.920 --> 0:17:31.879 recognize the emotion, recognize the moment and what the moment needs, 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.359 and to to paint a picture. And you know, ultimately, 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:37.080 you know, you're you're an artist in your own right 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:38.679 in the way that you do things. And I like 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:41.199 to think we're all kind of painting this picture. Sometimes 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:43.480 it's a better picture than other pictures, and sometimes we 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:46.280 get it right, sometimes we don't, But you know, we 0:17:46.320 --> 0:17:49.520 are living it, and the people are watching us living it, 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:52.160 and we are for the time being, they're still using 0:17:52.240 --> 0:17:54.320 human beings, and as long as they do, you know, 0:17:54.560 --> 0:17:58.000 we're gonna have emotion and passion involved in what we do. Yeah, 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:01.000 I mean, technology calls off size, but humans will always 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:03.520 describe the action on the field. Yeah, you're very kind. 0:18:03.520 --> 0:18:05.879 I mean, I learned so much from you and from 0:18:05.920 --> 0:18:10.760 this collection of global rock stars that we assembled in 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:13.160 South Africa and other World Cups. But I think that's 0:18:13.160 --> 0:18:15.879 where we kind of first brought ESPN resources to Bear, 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:18.879 and then you had Rude Hullett, and you had Steve McManaman, 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:21.720 and you had Jurgen Klinsman, and you had Roberto Martinez 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:24.960 a lot of soccer brain power. But all these nations represented. 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:28.080 All these dudes were, you know, multi millionaires who had 0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:31.320 global brands because of their success on the field. You're 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:34.840 representing America to an American audience. But but in the 0:18:34.880 --> 0:18:37.440 global game, what was that like? You know, sitting there 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:40.320 with with that collection of personalities who, by the way, 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:42.960 did their job all day and night and then went 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:45.840 out and enjoyed South Africa as only they could. I mean, 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:49.320 for me, that was like a life changing moment. Incredibly 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:52.080 proud to be the host of that coverage. I will 0:18:52.200 --> 0:18:54.800 always put that very very near the top of the resume. 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:56.080 But what was that like for you to sit in 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:58.080 that desk with that characaustic here and then go off 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:01.680 go off into the night with them to right? Yeah, 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:04.520 I mean, it's it's so much fun because obviously you 0:19:04.560 --> 0:19:07.439 see these players and they are acts players and what 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:09.600 they have done on the field, and you associate moments 0:19:09.600 --> 0:19:12.199 in your life. Sometimes you might have played against them 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.480 or idolized them growing up and watched them, and then 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:17.560 you you get to know them as people and obviously 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:21.840 as colleagues working, and there is a great equalization process 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:25.760 process that happens because while you might have the cachet 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:28.240