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Speaker 1: Yeah, it was really exciting. It was really exciting when

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Speaker 1: the people were going, where are you from, you guys,

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Speaker 1: Florida State?

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Speaker 2: What the team is this? No, wasn't a private jet

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Speaker 2: back then?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, we're the Florida State cricket team. We just had

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Speaker 1: a trip to Trinidad. It was And by the way,

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Speaker 1: it wasn't United it was before that. It was Continental Airlines. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and it might have been. I mean, we might have

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Speaker 1: been on pan Am for all I know. I don't

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Speaker 1: know what it was.

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Speaker 2: What's going on, everybody, Welcome back to Inside American Soccer.

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Speaker 2: I'm your host, Tom Boger, joined by my friend, one

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Speaker 2: of the greatest players in US soccer history, your veteran

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Speaker 2: three World Cups, tab Ramos tab We got a fun

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Speaker 2: episode today. We are going into the mail bag and

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Speaker 2: I'm gonna hit you with an off script question to

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Speaker 2: begin with of does the term mailbag make sense in

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Speaker 2: the Year of Our Lord twenty twenty six in terms

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Speaker 2: of I don't send much mail. I don't know if

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Speaker 2: you still said a lot of I don't, and it

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Speaker 2: gives me anxiety because it's not something that I do regularly,

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Speaker 2: and I'm fearful that I'm gonna mess it up.

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Speaker 1: I rarely send mail, but every once in a while

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Speaker 1: I have to send a check to somebody and I

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Speaker 1: have to mail it, so that still happens in my household.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, I think most people wouldn't even know what

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Speaker 1: a mail bag is, right. It's kind of like the

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Speaker 1: you know when they put the high school kids and

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Speaker 1: try to put them in front of like a rotary

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Speaker 1: phone and make them to make a phone call and

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Speaker 1: they kind of press the button and don't know that

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Speaker 1: they have to go around, you know, like that. It's

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Speaker 1: that sort of thing. I think the mail bag is

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Speaker 1: the same thing.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I would agree. I don't to be fair, I

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Speaker 2: don't have a better alternative in terms of a name.

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Speaker 2: This just makes the most sense. But you know, as

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Speaker 2: we were sitting here, all of the questions obviously coming

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Speaker 2: digitally here. So maybe it's a little outdated. Maybe maybe

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Speaker 2: we'll think about it. We'll put it together and figure

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Speaker 2: out a new name. But on the show, we got

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Speaker 2: a packed show. We are going in that mail bag,

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Speaker 2: that digital mail bag. We got a bunch of questions,

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Speaker 2: a bunch of comments from you guys. Thank you very much.

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Speaker 2: We're looking forward to getting into it. We're going to

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Speaker 2: get into the the news a little bit off the

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Speaker 2: top to keep you caught up on all things US

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Speaker 2: men's national team, and then we'll go inside the locker

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Speaker 2: room with Tab for a story about the legendary nineteen

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Speaker 2: eighty nine game in Trinidad that changed the future of

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Speaker 2: American soccer. Very much looking forward to that one. But

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Speaker 2: let's start with some of the news right off the top.

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Speaker 2: We'll go inside the notebook. It's been an eventful week

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Speaker 2: for the US men's national team, not always positive. Unfortunately,

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Speaker 2: We're gonna start with a bad story. Ricardo Peppy. Good news,

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Speaker 2: scored a goal. Bad news. As he scored the goal,

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Speaker 2: he suffered a pretty nasty arm injury. He broke his forearm.

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Speaker 2: He went right to the hospital against surgery. PSV has

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Speaker 2: announced he'll be out around two months. I'm not a doctor,

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Speaker 2: so I don't want to speculate, but that looks like

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Speaker 2: a pretty tough injury, and if he's back in two months,

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Speaker 2: I'd be very impressive to his internal resolve and ability

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Speaker 2: to rehab and get himself ready to get to play.

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Speaker 2: Because that looked bad. That means his status from March

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Speaker 2: is in jeopardy again. I probably guess unlikely if we're

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Speaker 2: just being safe here, which means there's going to be

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Speaker 2: another spot open in the forward depth. Start to potentially

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Speaker 2: impress reach out Postino and the staff before the World Cup.

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Speaker 2: This will be the last window that players can come in.

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Speaker 2: So are you worried at all for peppi status of

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Speaker 2: the World Cup team or what comes to mind with

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Speaker 2: this injury?

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Speaker 1: Well, the only reason I'm worried is because he was

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Speaker 1: just starting to get informed. I you know, I think

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Speaker 1: you know, not only did he score a goal, but

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Speaker 1: he had been scoring and I think that might have

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Speaker 1: been the fifth game in a row that he had

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Speaker 1: scored a goal, So he was starting to get hot,

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Speaker 1: starting to make us think about, hey, you know, it's

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Speaker 1: Peppy going to be fighting for that starting role with

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Speaker 1: the team. And I think because he had been out

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Speaker 1: for so long, I think the injury just comes at

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Speaker 1: a really bad time more than anything. Having said that,

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Speaker 1: I also think that an arm injury is not like

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Speaker 1: a knee injury or a lower leg injury where it

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Speaker 1: could potentially linger. So I think that although he may

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Speaker 1: not play for two months, there may be ways that

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Speaker 1: they can protect his arm enough during training. So that

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Speaker 1: he can be training way before that, and although maybe

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Speaker 1: what they put in his arm you couldn't potentially use

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Speaker 1: in a real game, you can still use and in practice.

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Speaker 1: So I think he'll he'll come back around a little

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Speaker 1: bit earlier, but it's still something to worry about, only

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Speaker 1: because he had been out for so long right before this.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and it is unfortunate because it's a tough area

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Speaker 2: when you get into, like I don't want to call

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Speaker 2: somebody injury prone, particularly something like this like this isn't like, oh,

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Speaker 2: he did his hamstring again, or like a recurring injury.

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Speaker 2: This is just kind of one of those freak accidents

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Speaker 2: that you can't like prepare against. You can't do injury

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Speaker 2: prevention on something like this. It is something that's more

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Speaker 2: of like a freak accident and unfortunate than you know,

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Speaker 2: maybe a bad sign for things to come. But he's

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Speaker 2: had a few and I hope that he will get

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Speaker 2: that run a for him and those run of games

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Speaker 2: and put this behind him when he's back. Obviously, this

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Speaker 2: takes any potential move to Fulham or elsewhere in the

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Speaker 2: Premier League off the table for January. I guess I

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Speaker 2: don't know that with one hundred percent certainty. But I

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Speaker 2: feel pretty confident that you don't spend thirty five million

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Speaker 2: dollars on a player who's going to be out for

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Speaker 2: a few months. This is something that obviously will be

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Speaker 2: revisited in the summer. The interest won't go away because

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Speaker 2: of this. But teams in the Premier League, I'd find

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Speaker 2: it unlikely that they would spend money, a big money

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Speaker 2: on a player that is going to be out for

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Speaker 2: at least two months, and then you'd really only get

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Speaker 2: them for the last six weeks or so of the

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Speaker 2: season if he comes back in time really quickly. I

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Speaker 2: think that this will open an opportunity for different forwards

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Speaker 2: to be within this group in March. First and foremost

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Speaker 2: comes to mind for me is Patrick Goadgumont because he's

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Speaker 2: been playing very well with Darby County. I think he

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Speaker 2: probably would have been there either way. They would have

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Speaker 2: found room for, you know, maybe an extra forward no

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Speaker 2: matter what. But I think that pretty much locks in

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Speaker 2: Patrick Goajamonk for Mark.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and you could be right about that because and

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Speaker 1: I think the other thing to consider is that Marisio

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Speaker 1: Bocasino likes him. I mean, he's shown that he likes him,

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Speaker 1: and he likes what he does, and sometimes all it

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Speaker 1: takes is for a player to have one certain quality

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Speaker 1: that the coach likes for him to be part of

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Speaker 1: the picture. And I think I think likely he would

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Speaker 1: have been there even with Peppy there. But I think

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Speaker 1: I think you're right. I think this probably solidifies this

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Speaker 1: position at least for the for the camp in March.

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Speaker 2: And then we'll have that opportunity to stick around and

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Speaker 2: we'll see what happens as the World Cup roster gets

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Speaker 2: closer and closer to being decided and then revealed. Let's

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Speaker 2: start keep with the center forwards, Josh Sargent. Josh Sargent's

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Speaker 2: future is very much a question at Norich City. Sources

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Speaker 2: have told me that Toronto FC has made a bid

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Speaker 2: of eighteen million. Talks are ongoing between Norwich and Toronto.

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Speaker 2: Josh Sargent is pushing for this move. He wants this move.

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Speaker 2: He sat out of Norrich's game over the weekend as

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Speaker 2: he said it was, you know, his head wasn't right

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Speaker 2: with all the transfer stuff. That's a polite code for

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Speaker 2: accept this bid or you know, make a real counter

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Speaker 2: offer so I can leave the background. Here is Josh

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Speaker 2: Sargent almost joined Wolfsburg in the summer. There's a twenty

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Speaker 2: eight million dow or bid accepted by Norwich. Personal terms

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Speaker 2: were set. He was either in Germany or about to

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Speaker 2: go to Germany, and due to personal family reasons, he

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Speaker 2: and his family decided this move isn't right. I don't

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Speaker 2: want this move. In eighteen months ago, FC Cincinnati tried

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Speaker 2: to sign him, he accepted personal he was ready to go.

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Speaker 2: If Norwich accepted a bid from Cincy, he would be

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Speaker 2: playing for c C Cincinnati right now. That is just the reality.

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Speaker 2: So Josh Sargent is always a guy that was at

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Speaker 2: the top of my list for like a big time

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Speaker 2: US men's national team player that would be likely to

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Speaker 2: come back to MLS, probably first, more than some of

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Speaker 2: the other guys. So this all lignes with that. Sources

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Speaker 2: have told me Toronto are confident. They've been working on

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Speaker 2: this for a while now. This winter he has been

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Speaker 2: their top target. They feel good about this. The North

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Speaker 2: City manager Philip Clement came out and said something to

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Speaker 2: the effect of, yeah, I told him he's not leaving

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Speaker 2: this month. I put that to a number of sources,

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Speaker 2: and all I say is they weren't too worried. So

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Speaker 2: maybe that's just public posturing to get a better deal.

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Speaker 2: Maybe that's public posturing for whatever deals they're working on

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Speaker 2: to replace Josh Sergeant. Because obviously, if you're a team

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Speaker 2: that has a forward that you're getting a bid from Norwich,

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Speaker 2: you're looking at this and saying, oh, you're about to

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Speaker 2: have eighteen to twenty million dollars. The price for hour

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Speaker 2: player is eighteen to twenty million dollars, So I think

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Speaker 2: that's what it has. It has more to do with

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Speaker 2: that than them actually keeping him. But if they stick

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Speaker 2: to the guns here, this could get messy because Josh

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Speaker 2: Sargent wants this movie.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, there's a couple And by the way,

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Speaker 1: I'll start by saying first that I'm a big supporter

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Speaker 1: of Josh Sargeant. If anything, I've always been pushing him.

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Speaker 1: As you know, this has been one of the best forwards.

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Speaker 1: He has all the qualities to make any team better.

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Speaker 1: But there's a bunch of things that I don't like

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Speaker 1: about this move. And I'll start by saying first of

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Speaker 1: all that I think it kind of looks like number

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Speaker 1: one that Josh just wants to leave his team regardless,

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Speaker 1: right Two that likely he's thinking that maybe, hey, maybe

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Speaker 1: my as trying to get to the top of the

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Speaker 1: Premier League or being on a solid top team in

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Speaker 1: Europe is over and I want to turn around and

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Speaker 1: go back. Also, the fact that you know MLS is

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Speaker 1: getting ready to spend eighteen million dollars in an American

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Speaker 1: player to come back, I think that's a lot of

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Speaker 1: money for MLS, you know, and when you look when

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Speaker 1: you look into the future of the league and the

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Speaker 1: money that the league should be spending, should be spending. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I'm not seeing an American player coming back a little

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Speaker 1: bit sooner as an eighteen million dollars signing. I just

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Speaker 1: don't think that's a great that's a great look for

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Speaker 1: the league. And I think the last thing I would

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Speaker 1: say is I would like to see him in Saint Louis.

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Speaker 1: Saint Louis, jump in there. If someone's going to get him,

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Speaker 1: get in there, get your guys together and bring Joss

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Speaker 1: Sargeant back to Saint Louis. If he's going to go anywhere,

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Speaker 1: that's where we need Joss Sargent.

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Speaker 2: Well, they've had a lot of time for this to

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Speaker 2: be on the table and they have not shown any

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Speaker 2: interest in putting up the money that would require job

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Speaker 2: sergeant coming home to Saint Louis. So again, I don't

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Speaker 2: know where his hat is, that his head is at

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Speaker 2: by that, but that's just not something on the table

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Speaker 2: right now. It's an interesting point that you make. I

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Speaker 2: would disagree because and it's easy to cherry pick the

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Speaker 2: bad examples, right but particularly with Toronto. They gave Lorenzo

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Speaker 2: and Sienia a four or five year contract, a fifteen

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Speaker 2: million dollars a year mistake, just an awful just that's

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Speaker 2: set on foot, money on fire. Bernadeski's similar contract length,

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Speaker 2: I think it was seven or eight million per year.

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Speaker 2: They're still paying those two players. So I will say

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Speaker 2: Toronto has always been an ambitious ownership group. It has

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Speaker 2: worked out really really well when it was Michael Bradley,

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Speaker 2: josialtatur In Sebagian, Giuvinco, and then it has worked out

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Speaker 2: poorly when it was in Signia and Bernadeski, and they've

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Speaker 2: had a lot of other things. They've rebuilt the culture

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Speaker 2: within the team, the front office that they got. They

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Speaker 2: had lost a lot of people along the way, and

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Speaker 2: now they're into a new era and I think it's

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Speaker 2: good that it's you know, hey, we're gonna spend eight

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Speaker 2: million on Jorgi Mahialovic, who fringe US national team guy.

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Speaker 2: Maybe that's not quite because he's not really anywhere near

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Speaker 2: the picture of Puccino, But that's an American guy who

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Speaker 2: has had a lot of success in MLS, been on

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Speaker 2: the Olympic team, and then Josh Sargent and the fee there.

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Speaker 2: I think it's like people in norchill like that's not

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Speaker 2: enough for him because they had the bid accepted and

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Speaker 2: for ten million more than this in the summer. And

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Speaker 2: if you look around at a player at twenty even

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Speaker 2: take away the nationality, twenty five years old, team of

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Speaker 2: the season in the championship last year, he's four seasons

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Speaker 2: in a row double digit goals and his like goals

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Speaker 2: per minut ratio is pretty high. He's he's gotten over

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Speaker 2: some injury stuff, like I think last year or two

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Speaker 2: years ago he played forty one of the forty six

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Speaker 2: games in the championship. Is not an easy thing to do,

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Speaker 2: particularly for somebody who we would be worried about injury issues.

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Speaker 2: So all of this again taking away the name, takeaway

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Speaker 2: the nationality, that profile of that, that's a twenty million

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Speaker 2: dollars player. Atlanta United spent twenty two million on Emmanuel

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Speaker 2: latzelat who it was very good in the championship. He

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Speaker 2: did not have the same resume that Josh Sargent had

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Speaker 2: in the championship. So I think for the price, it

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Speaker 2: makes sense. And listen, if you're gonna wiff on somebody,

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Speaker 2: and I think that this would be I think this

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Speaker 2: would be a really high floor. The only word you

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Speaker 2: would have is will he play thirty games a season

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Speaker 2: every season? And there's a risk to that to anybody

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Speaker 2: you signed. So I think for Toronto, this is a

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Speaker 2: good way to spend money. It's certainly certainly better than

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Speaker 2: what they had in the last few years.

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Speaker 1: I mean, those are all good points, Tom. You know,

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Speaker 1: when you look at it that way, I would agree

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Speaker 1: that it doesn't sound like a lot of money. I

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Speaker 1: still think when I when I look at MLS and

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Speaker 1: look what you know, what the league is about, I

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Speaker 1: still think that you know, it's a lot of money

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Speaker 1: on any player for the league to bring in. But

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Speaker 1: in particular, I hope that you know all the points

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Speaker 1: that you made that Saint Louis is still looking at

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Speaker 1: Delis and saying, this is the guy for here. This

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Speaker 1: is our home hero. And by the way, I don't

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Speaker 1: think this is going to be a whiff. You know

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Speaker 1: where you know, and this is where maybe the value

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Speaker 1: is there because you know when you go and sign

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Speaker 1: the way Atlanta went out and signed this year and

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Speaker 1: you miss a little bit that hurts. I think with

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Speaker 1: Josh Sargent, whoever miss not gonna miss. This is a

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Speaker 1: sure thing. Josh Sargent will do well in the MLS.

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Speaker 2: So this is one to keep watching. I'm again, I'm

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Speaker 2: just sitting here on January thirteenth. I would expect this

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Speaker 2: to get done over the line again, just because of

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Speaker 2: all the confidences that I've heard from people all over

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Speaker 2: the deal pretty much everybody but Norwich and who knows.

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Speaker 2: Usually when these things happen, when the money gets there,

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Speaker 2: the deal gets agreed. But we'll see how that one evolves.

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Speaker 2: A couple more quick ones here Chris Richards. He returns

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Speaker 2: in Chrystal Pals's surprising shocking FA Cup loss. That's unfortunate

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Speaker 2: for the reigning FA Cup champions, the holders of this competition,

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Speaker 2: but good news this is Chris Richards is back. The

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Speaker 2: injury wasn't long term like we had said. And that's

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Speaker 2: great news. As long as he's all good moving forward,

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Speaker 2: that's all good. So I think that's important to hear,

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Speaker 2: particularly after some of the bad injury news with Peppi

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Speaker 2: and Tyler Adams, and then some more good news WESN McKinney.

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Speaker 2: He scored officially one time. If you look at the

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Speaker 2: box scores, I think we all agree that he probably

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Speaker 2: should have been credited for two goals. But either he

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Speaker 2: might be in the form of his life right now.

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Speaker 2: I feel like we've talked about him every week here

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Speaker 2: because he's doing things that are really really strong. His form,

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Speaker 2: his his output for Juventus, and it's just another really

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Speaker 2: good week for West McKinney.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll start with Chris Richards first. I think he

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Speaker 1: you know, he did look a little rusty. Obviously he's

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Speaker 1: been out for what a month something like that because

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Speaker 1: something like that. So yeah, he got I think he

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Speaker 1: got beat on the blind side a little bit on

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Speaker 1: one of the goals. You know, not not a great start,

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Speaker 1: but it's great to see him back on the field.

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Speaker 1: And I'm sure you know it's always difficult to play

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Speaker 1: teams that are so far below your level because you're

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Speaker 1: now really prepared. You don't know their players as well.

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Speaker 1: So I'm sure that was that was tough and and

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Speaker 1: obviously a historic loss because you can't say it any

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Speaker 1: other way, and he was part of that. But I'm

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Speaker 1: sure as he gets back into EPL this weekend he

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Speaker 1: will pick up his game. So yeah, so that's that's

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Speaker 1: where that is. As far as what was the other

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Speaker 1: player you were talking about? Wow, so Wes, Yeah, so

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Speaker 1: so west And I think we laughed at this a

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Speaker 1: little bit before the show because you know, had I

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Speaker 1: ever had a chance to play for Juventus and I

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Speaker 1: would have scored that goal that they called an own goal,

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Speaker 1: I would have been protesting to the Cops Shield Federation

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Speaker 1: as much as psychic protest because I you know, I thought,

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Speaker 1: you know, Weston tried to put the ball in the

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Speaker 1: goal and it just hit the defender and ended up

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Speaker 1: going in the goal. Anyway, I think that should be

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Speaker 1: his goal. But but you know there's more than that.

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Speaker 1: His other goal was a great header, right, And and

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Speaker 1: this is what we've been talking about. We've discussed is

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Speaker 1: on the show a couple of times, how Weston can

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Speaker 1: be that eight or ten either position who ends up

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Speaker 1: inside the six. He does that well, and I think

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Speaker 1: this game he showed once again that he can do

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Speaker 1: that coming out of the midfield.

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Speaker 2: He started the last thirteen Seriat games for event to

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Speaker 2: see as an absolute crucial key starter and it's just

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Speaker 2: been awesome, awesome to see. And he's out of contract

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Speaker 2: in the summer, not a bad time to be in

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Speaker 2: the formula life of the World Cup coming up, so

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Speaker 2: I think west mckinn's gonna have plenty of options, whether

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Speaker 2: Uventus is one of them for the next season. He

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Speaker 2: won't be he won't be short, and I'm looking forward

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Speaker 2: to that brim. Time for a quick break for us

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Speaker 2: before we dive into the mailbag. We'll be right back.

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Speaker 2: Please write, review and subscribe to Inside American Soccer, Tom Boger,

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Speaker 2: tab Ramless, wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back to

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Speaker 2: Inside American Soccer. We wanted to hear from you, the fans,

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Speaker 2: so we put the call out for questions, and as always,

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Speaker 2: you guys came through and we got some good ones

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Speaker 2: as well as some interesting comments that we're gonna throw

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Speaker 2: in that maybe weren't questions, but we do want to

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Speaker 2: hear your opinion and your voice. So let's start it

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Speaker 2: off with some questions from first one mlus ACES podcast.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for listening. By the way, emilss Aces, you

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Speaker 2: were always here to support us for a relatively healthy

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Speaker 2: roster this summer. I eat no major last minute injuries.

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Speaker 2: What should be the bare minimum for this group at

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Speaker 2: the World Cup? The air quote, good run? And what

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Speaker 2: is the best case scenario if all plays out best?

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Speaker 2: Let's go for wow. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: I think we've briefly discussed this in the past, but

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Speaker 1: I think this will change as times go by. Goes

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Speaker 1: by rights, it's normal. I'll start answering this question by

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Speaker 1: starting to think about the investment that we've made in

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Speaker 1: order to do better than ever before. Right, that's the goal.

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Speaker 1: We hired an accomplished coach who has been at the

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Speaker 1: highest level internationally to come in and take our team,

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Speaker 1: hopefully to a place we've never been before. Having said that, obviously,

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Speaker 1: let's start round by round. So you know, obviously, let's

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Speaker 1: not talk about not getting out of the first round.

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Speaker 1: You know, three teams will go by, you'll go get out,

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Speaker 1: and we'll be one of them. If we were to

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Speaker 1: lose in the round of thirty two, I think that

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Speaker 1: there's no question that that would be a huge failure,

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Speaker 1: both from you know, the player's standpoint and from coaching standpoint. Right,

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Speaker 1: So then you go to round to sixteen. So if

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Speaker 1: you make it to round to sixteen, you know, I

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Speaker 1: think on who you played on the round of twenty

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Speaker 1: thirty two, which should be a decent opponent, round of

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Speaker 1: sixteen is where we always make it.

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Speaker 2: Right.

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Speaker 1: So in terms of the players, I mean, can you

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Speaker 1: you could potentially say, well, you know, this was our

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Speaker 1: golden generation. These players are great, they play at great clubs.

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Speaker 1: Round of sixteen is probably not something we'll be happy with,

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Speaker 1: but it will be a failure in terms of the

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Speaker 1: coaching situation, right, because we got really nothing out of

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Speaker 1: that investment. If you end up in the round of sixteen, now,

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Speaker 1: if you went to the round of eight, if you

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Speaker 1: went to the quarterfinals, I think that success. I think

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Speaker 1: that success on both ends. And I think that's something

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Speaker 1: that can potentially be achievable with this group. I think

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Speaker 1: the group is good enough to make it that far,

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Speaker 1: and I think the coaching should be good enough to

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Speaker 1: make it that far. And I think if you make

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Speaker 1: it any further than that, obviously it's huge success. I

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Speaker 1: think it likely will wrap the country around this team

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Speaker 1: like never before, and it will likely have an effect

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Speaker 1: for decades to come if we do any better than that.

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Speaker 1: So that's that's sort of where it's sort of where

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Speaker 1: I see it. Round to sixteen being the absolute minimum

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Speaker 1: where we can say, okay, we did okay, but bringing

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Speaker 1: a coach from overseas didn't really help us that much.

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Speaker 1: We could have done this with anybody. This is really

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Speaker 1: what we do every time anyway, you know. And then

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Speaker 1: and then the quarterfinals. We did that in two thousand

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Speaker 1: and two. But I still think that it's that it's

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Speaker 1: a good result for this team. That's how I see it.

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Speaker 2: I really like how you laid all of that out,

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Speaker 2: and I agree for you know, just about all of it.

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Speaker 2: I keep going back and forth in my head. Well,

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Speaker 2: like it feels it feels like churlish to say round

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Speaker 2: to sixteen that's not good enough. Like there's if you

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Speaker 2: get to the Like I kind of like quarterfinals is

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Speaker 2: kind of where I sit at of home World Cup,

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Speaker 2: this golden generation into their primes, building off of what

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Speaker 2: happened in twenty twenty two, this big time head coach

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Speaker 2: that came in recent but you know, we turned the

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Speaker 2: corner because things look really bad in the fall and

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Speaker 2: in the summer. But like, if they get to the

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Speaker 2: round of sixteen and play, I'd like, again, I'm just

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Speaker 2: using the examples of tom Meg because I think it

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Speaker 2: would be Belgium as we like, that's the likeliest path.

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Speaker 2: But like, if it's in England or in Argentina or

432
00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,720
Speaker 2: Brazil or Spain or you insert any one of the

433
00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,199
Speaker 2: like favorites, it'd be tough to say, oh, man, like,

434
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,600
Speaker 2: what a failure. They didn't beat Argentina and around to

435
00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:23,920
Speaker 2: sixteen and didn't get to the quarterfinals. So obviously a

436
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,200
Speaker 2: lot of it goes down to the path, But I

437
00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,199
Speaker 2: don't know. I wouldn't be like this is a failure.

438
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,520
Speaker 2: I'd just be slightly disappointed if it's not the quarterfinals,

439
00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:36,960
Speaker 2: because if not now, then when this is the time

440
00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,840
Speaker 2: that we've been building towards as a federation, as as

441
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,119
Speaker 2: this current group of players, particularly since failing to qualify

442
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:45,720
Speaker 2: for the twenty eighteen World Cup. This has been the

443
00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:47,480
Speaker 2: carrot at the end of the stick. This has been

444
00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,399
Speaker 2: what we've chasing. So quarterfying like the round of sixteen

445
00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:53,480
Speaker 2: would be fine, It would be okay, But I think

446
00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:55,560
Speaker 2: I'd be a little bit disappointed, and tab I don't

447
00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:59,320
Speaker 2: know if that's unrealistic expectations. I do think that I

448
00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:00,840
Speaker 2: do think there's a an area where they get to

449
00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,320
Speaker 2: the semifinals. I think that that's I wouldn't say that's

450
00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,320
Speaker 2: the most likely outcome, but I could absolutely see that, Like,

451
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,720
Speaker 2: why not if the run goes well and all the

452
00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:14,919
Speaker 2: strengths get emboldened throughout the run, If pool sick and

453
00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,679
Speaker 2: Richard's and McKenny at this point, like Adams, if all

454
00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:20,560
Speaker 2: of these guys are playing at the top of their abilities,

455
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,680
Speaker 2: they can It's just there's a lot of good players

456
00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,480
Speaker 2: in the world, of course, But I think that the

457
00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:31,159
Speaker 2: ceiling is semifinals and somewhere between quarterfinals in round of

458
00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:35,199
Speaker 2: sixteen is the expectation. And obviously there is no in

459
00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:38,080
Speaker 2: between for those two things. So it'll feel super positive

460
00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,760
Speaker 2: if it's quarterfinals, and it feel a little bit disappointing

461
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:42,159
Speaker 2: if it's round to sixteen for me.

462
00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:46,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think you framed it correctly too, because

463
00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,120
Speaker 1: you know, I would add to that that we also

464
00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,440
Speaker 1: need a little bit of luck, right, you know, look

465
00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,760
Speaker 1: at Argentina won the last World Cup and they actually

466
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,040
Speaker 1: won four out of the seven games they played, you know,

467
00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:57,639
Speaker 1: they you know, they won a couple on penalties and

468
00:21:57,680 --> 00:21:59,960
Speaker 1: they lost to Saudi, so you know, and they got

469
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,600
Speaker 1: I think five penalty kicks on the way there, so

470
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,480
Speaker 1: had that not happened, they wouldn't have won the World Cup.

471
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,280
Speaker 1: So you know, they're all the and of course you

472
00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,160
Speaker 1: earn those, and you have to be in the box

473
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:11,359
Speaker 1: to get a penalty call for you all of those things.

474
00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:15,120
Speaker 1: But I wouldn't think that our team is so far

475
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,560
Speaker 1: away so that with a little bit of luck we

476
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,880
Speaker 1: couldn't get to the semi finals. I think we can,

477
00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:21,359
Speaker 1: and I think we will need it.

478
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:23,920
Speaker 2: I really like the way that you put that too,

479
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:28,439
Speaker 2: because I struggle with quantifying or like talking about, you know,

480
00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:30,920
Speaker 2: the role that luck plays in all of these knockouts

481
00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,080
Speaker 2: ornaments like it not just a World Cup, just insert anything,

482
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,320
Speaker 2: whether it's club or international soccer. I think the way

483
00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:40,199
Speaker 2: you put it, this group is good enough that they, like,

484
00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:42,560
Speaker 2: you can't be a bad team and just get extremely

485
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,840
Speaker 2: lucky to carry through a run. I think this team

486
00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,439
Speaker 2: is good enough that if the bouncers go right, it

487
00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:49,600
Speaker 2: can be where where you know, we hope it can

488
00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:53,000
Speaker 2: get to again, like hopefully quarterfinals and maybe the semi finals.

489
00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:55,760
Speaker 2: And I think that's that's part of the range, and

490
00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,480
Speaker 2: you need to have a baseline quality and a baseline

491
00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:03,960
Speaker 2: mental to qualify for some of the lucky bounces, because again,

492
00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:10,000
Speaker 2: if you're bad, I don't know, Cape Verde awesome story

493
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,159
Speaker 2: for them to get there. They could get every single bounce,

494
00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:14,000
Speaker 2: and I don't think that there's a world that they

495
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:15,600
Speaker 2: get to the round of sixteen or something like that,

496
00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,680
Speaker 2: you know what I mean? And not comparing us to

497
00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,000
Speaker 2: Cape Verde, but there is a group that outside of

498
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:25,800
Speaker 2: the top top title contenders, there's like a second tier that. Again,

499
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:27,719
Speaker 2: I think that the range of where these teams can

500
00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,800
Speaker 2: finish can be wide, depending on the path, depending on

501
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,679
Speaker 2: a couple of bounds, depending on set pieces, and some

502
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,120
Speaker 2: other really really small things that vary game to game,

503
00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,600
Speaker 2: and I think the United States is in that all right,

504
00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,639
Speaker 2: Next question from AFLAC. I don't think that this is

505
00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,399
Speaker 2: a sponsored Hey, hey, guys, love the content. Do you

506
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,640
Speaker 2: think Aiden Morris will have a spot in the World

507
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,800
Speaker 2: Cup squad or at least compete for one. He's definitely

508
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,080
Speaker 2: not guaranteed one, but I think he's definitely on the

509
00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,159
Speaker 2: bubble right now. Tab I don't remember if when we

510
00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,800
Speaker 2: did our roster projection that will do several times between

511
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,240
Speaker 2: then and and the World Cup. I don't remember if

512
00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,359
Speaker 2: we definitely both had him as like either one of

513
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:06,240
Speaker 2: the last guys in or one of the first guys out.

514
00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,760
Speaker 2: So he's got a chance and we'll see what happens.

515
00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:11,640
Speaker 2: I think it'll be pretty pivotal if he gets caught

516
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:12,760
Speaker 2: up in March, how he performs.

517
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:14,719
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think you know, at the moment, you'd have

518
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,159
Speaker 1: to say, he's in one of those spots between you know,

519
00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,760
Speaker 1: twenty four and twenty eight, right somewhere in there where

520
00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:22,640
Speaker 1: you're not sure if he's going to be in or out.

521
00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,760
Speaker 1: This weekend. You know they played, you know this last

522
00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,080
Speaker 1: game FA Cup they played against Fulham. He played well.

523
00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,520
Speaker 1: He played a little bit further up the field, it seems,

524
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:35,399
Speaker 1: had a nice little assist or second assist as a

525
00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:37,560
Speaker 1: back heel for the goal, which if you watch that

526
00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,320
Speaker 1: whole goal that Middlesbrough scored, was a great goal, actually

527
00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:44,080
Speaker 1: a great goal. And then he actually had a pass

528
00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,720
Speaker 1: where he put I think they're forward. I think his

529
00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,480
Speaker 1: name is Whittaker, and he put Whittaker through that could

530
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,200
Speaker 1: have been the two to two with about five minutes

531
00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,280
Speaker 1: left in the game, so he had an influence in

532
00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:55,760
Speaker 1: the game. You know, long story short, He's still in

533
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,800
Speaker 1: the picture, no mistake about it. He's still in the picture.

534
00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,440
Speaker 1: He's certainly not a g guarantee, but he's one of

535
00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,720
Speaker 1: one of the final two or the two that'll come

536
00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:07,040
Speaker 1: in late. But he's right in that picture. I think.

537
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,480
Speaker 2: I would agree, and again, I think we could go

538
00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:12,879
Speaker 2: back every single week back and forth between some of

539
00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,000
Speaker 2: these guys. There are others on on the bubble that

540
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,000
Speaker 2: include Johnny card Oh so I think Tanner Tessaman is

541
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,000
Speaker 2: ahead of definitely ahead of both of those. Tyler Adams

542
00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:22,879
Speaker 2: is a lock provided that he's healthy. Weston McKinney is

543
00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:25,720
Speaker 2: a lock provided he's healthy. So really quickly, this group

544
00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:27,920
Speaker 2: is difficult to break into with all the options we

545
00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,119
Speaker 2: talked about. Sebastian bur Alter, I know he hasn't played

546
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:31,760
Speaker 2: in a month and he won't play for another month

547
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:33,640
Speaker 2: in Vancouver white Caps, but he'll be part of the mix.

548
00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:35,919
Speaker 2: There are Christian Rodan has been part of them. There.

549
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,080
Speaker 2: There are just a lot of options for some of

550
00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,680
Speaker 2: these last central midfield spots, and I think it's gonna

551
00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:41,960
Speaker 2: come down to the wire and we can have different

552
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,560
Speaker 2: opinions every week. This next question is from Eric Friedlander.

553
00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,480
Speaker 2: What is Tab's biggest what if youth prospect of the

554
00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:49,520
Speaker 2: last twenty years?

555
00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,080
Speaker 1: I actually, you know, I love this question actually because

556
00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,840
Speaker 1: I always think back about, you know, what I thought

557
00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,240
Speaker 1: at those moments and the guys that I thought, Man,

558
00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,960
Speaker 1: this guy is really this guy really has all the tools, right.

559
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:04,840
Speaker 1: And when I think of a guy that had all

560
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,480
Speaker 1: the tools that I thought was going to be big time,

561
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,320
Speaker 1: and by the way, he was big time but injury

562
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,160
Speaker 1: stoleed him down, I would have to say Number one

563
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:17,159
Speaker 1: for me would be Ben Spencer. So Ben Ben Spencer

564
00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:22,560
Speaker 1: was a six five forward, ninety five born, so he

565
00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,440
Speaker 1: would have been on that twenty fifteen team. He only

566
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,520
Speaker 1: played qualifying for US and he was already injured. He

567
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:33,000
Speaker 1: had all kinds of problems with a knee injury that

568
00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,480
Speaker 1: he had. He was playing at Molda at the time.

569
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:41,359
Speaker 1: But Tom, he had all of the tools. He was fast,

570
00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:43,119
Speaker 1: he was great in the air, obviously because he was

571
00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:45,320
Speaker 1: six y five, but he played with the ball on

572
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,080
Speaker 1: his feet as if he was five eight. I mean,

573
00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,120
Speaker 1: he had all of the tools and unfortunately for him,

574
00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:54,359
Speaker 1: he ended up bouncing around because he went every club

575
00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,639
Speaker 1: he's been on or he was not ever since. I

576
00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:59,640
Speaker 1: think he might have retired a couple of years ago only,

577
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,320
Speaker 1: but I think he was in between injuries all the time.

578
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,480
Speaker 1: He never really got to full potential. But I think

579
00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:11,080
Speaker 1: i'd have to say definitely Ben Spencer. But I'll give

580
00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:13,919
Speaker 1: you some honorable mentions because I like to think about it.

581
00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:19,480
Speaker 1: I got something, okay, So Junior Flores. Junior Flores was

582
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:25,080
Speaker 1: at fifteen sixteen years old, he played in those Nike

583
00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:30,240
Speaker 1: International friendlies in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, when we used to

584
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:34,680
Speaker 1: have our U seventeens there as full residency. He tore

585
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:41,280
Speaker 1: Brazil apart, basically by himself. He was an amazing, amazing player.

586
00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,199
Speaker 1: By the time he got to the U twenties, I

587
00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:46,720
Speaker 1: had him, I believe, a World Cup qualifying, but he

588
00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:50,080
Speaker 1: already didn't make the final team for the World Cup

589
00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,640
Speaker 1: because he wasn't in good form. But I think at

590
00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,520
Speaker 1: sixteen years old, which just when he signed with Dortmund,

591
00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:59,560
Speaker 1: I think he signed three or four year contract with

592
00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,520
Speaker 1: Dorton and he had options to go to many other teams.

593
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:06,119
Speaker 1: Liverpool like every team in the world wanted a piece

594
00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:09,159
Speaker 1: of junior flories and ended up not really having a

595
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,560
Speaker 1: career at all. So that would be my next one,

596
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,440
Speaker 1: and then from there, I'll say more more recently, I

597
00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,800
Speaker 1: would say, you know Gideon's allow him had in crowded.

598
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:19,680
Speaker 2: That was the one that was coming up number one.

599
00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:25,720
Speaker 1: When when Gideon showed up at our first under twenty practice,

600
00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:28,080
Speaker 1: we were in New Zealand preparing for the World Cup,

601
00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:30,479
Speaker 1: and he was two years younger than everyone else. I

602
00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:35,200
Speaker 1: remember Kellen Acosta watching Gideon's along them just take free

603
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:40,320
Speaker 1: kicks and go wow, this guy is amazing. But just

604
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,040
Speaker 1: the way he played. I at one point we played

605
00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:46,160
Speaker 1: Portugal and Portugal had a great under twenty team and

606
00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,600
Speaker 1: I said to Gideon, because he was an attacking sort

607
00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:50,560
Speaker 1: of like a number ten, I said, I said, Gideon,

608
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,719
Speaker 1: I'm going to ask you something that you've probably probably

609
00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,440
Speaker 1: never done before, and that is I want you to

610
00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:58,560
Speaker 1: play this number six position. And he looked at me

611
00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:02,120
Speaker 1: with eyes like that He's like, wait, like that means

612
00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:04,240
Speaker 1: I have to defend. And I said, listen, all I

613
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:05,960
Speaker 1: need you to do is to end at the top

614
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,239
Speaker 1: of our box. But I want to play everything through you.

615
00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:10,840
Speaker 1: I have to tell you we played him at the

616
00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,960
Speaker 1: number six role against Portugal. It was in Spain the

617
00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:17,160
Speaker 1: tournament in Spain, Portugal could not deal with them. He

618
00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,640
Speaker 1: had that shoulder in and out where he could receive

619
00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:23,600
Speaker 1: a ball and make the guy from behind miss. I mean,

620
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,560
Speaker 1: he was an incredible player. And also I think he

621
00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,720
Speaker 1: ran into injuries unfortunately and was not being able to

622
00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:30,640
Speaker 1: get to full I think he's still playing though, and

623
00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,680
Speaker 1: I think he's still playing well. I believe he's in

624
00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:36,600
Speaker 1: the USL now, but I think his full potention without

625
00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:40,320
Speaker 1: injuries would have been amazing. And then the last one,

626
00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,240
Speaker 1: I would say Alex Mendes. Alex Mendes was a great

627
00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:48,560
Speaker 1: player in our two twenty nineteen World Cup, a great

628
00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:53,840
Speaker 1: number eight, box to box, silky, smooth, great feet, ended

629
00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:57,240
Speaker 1: up signing for Ajax, did well at Ajax for a while,

630
00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,680
Speaker 1: but didn't take that next step and ended up in

631
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:02,800
Speaker 1: second division Portugal and after that he really did not

632
00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,680
Speaker 1: recover from that. But those would be like that would

633
00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,400
Speaker 1: be Ben Spencer, my tough guy, and the rest of

634
00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,000
Speaker 1: the guys should be honorable mention for me.

635
00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,400
Speaker 2: I like the Ben Spencer show because that one didn't

636
00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,080
Speaker 2: even come up for me. Just he never did get

637
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:19,480
Speaker 2: to the senior national team again, and like with his

638
00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:21,560
Speaker 2: club stuff, like the injuries just kind of derailed him,

639
00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:25,640
Speaker 2: which is super, super unfortunate. Gideon's allow him is the

640
00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,600
Speaker 2: one that I'm obviously always gonna think about. So he

641
00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:31,560
Speaker 2: was playing for Arsenal at sixteen years old in first

642
00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,320
Speaker 2: team preseason and turning heads like, oh my god, who's this.

643
00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,080
Speaker 2: This kid's American? Oh my god, he fits perfectly within

644
00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:39,960
Speaker 2: the Arson Benger Arsenal teams and like silky and possession

645
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,600
Speaker 2: all that stuff, and again injuries derailed him. But my god,

646
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,080
Speaker 2: for a while we thought that that was that was

647
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,400
Speaker 2: you know, the way that Christian Pools and Giorana were

648
00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:50,560
Speaker 2: being spoke of when they were breaking through a doormant

649
00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:52,640
Speaker 2: as like this isn't just like a top American town,

650
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,240
Speaker 2: this is just a top talent of his birth year

651
00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,720
Speaker 2: in the world. So injuries saw that another one. Paxton

652
00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:03,240
Speaker 2: Pomical was somebody I loved. Injuries has really slowed him down,

653
00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,440
Speaker 2: but he had some good years with Dallas. He's still

654
00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:09,640
Speaker 2: on Dallas. And one more that's a bit deeper cut, man.

655
00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,680
Speaker 2: I thought Derek Jones was gonna be awesome. I thought

656
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:13,200
Speaker 2: his floor was like he's just gonna be a really

657
00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,080
Speaker 2: good MLS player, but I think he's gonna end up

658
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:16,920
Speaker 2: going to Europe and it just never quite worked out

659
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:17,240
Speaker 2: for him.

660
00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:20,520
Speaker 1: I would agree on both of those, but in particular

661
00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:25,600
Speaker 1: with Derek Jones, and I actually brought him to Houston

662
00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:27,880
Speaker 1: with me when I signed in Houston. I'd signed him

663
00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:30,600
Speaker 1: because I was like, Wow, he can't be underperforming like this.

664
00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,040
Speaker 1: He has to do better. And by the way, great

665
00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:38,240
Speaker 1: kid will do anything for you, you know, trains hard, but

666
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,720
Speaker 1: he just never took that next step, and that next

667
00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:46,080
Speaker 1: step would have been, Yeah, he becomes Paul Pugbot at

668
00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:50,480
Speaker 1: his best moments, he becomes Patrick Vieira at his best moments.

669
00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,200
Speaker 1: That's how I saw him as well. And it's too

670
00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,920
Speaker 1: bad that he couldn't get to that level because I

671
00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:57,360
Speaker 1: think he had. I think.

672
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,440
Speaker 2: I agree, and like what what Tanner Testaman is right now,

673
00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:04,560
Speaker 2: Derek Jones probably could do maybe a little bit less

674
00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:06,640
Speaker 2: in possession of but a little bit more maybe in groundcovering,

675
00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:09,440
Speaker 2: again depending on what we were projecting everybody to be.

676
00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:11,400
Speaker 2: But I think Tanner Testament would be another good comp

677
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:13,200
Speaker 2: for him. Like, again, he's playing in Leone. That's a

678
00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,880
Speaker 2: big team. He's playing really well. It's awesome on the ball.

679
00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:18,320
Speaker 2: He's got this rains these like long legs of course

680
00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:21,960
Speaker 2: in central midfield. So yeah, when every time we had

681
00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,440
Speaker 2: a joke just on you know, Extra time podcast rep

682
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,880
Speaker 2: to that around MLS, every time Derek Jones got signed

683
00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:32,120
Speaker 2: somewhere else, we would spend more time on that than

684
00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,600
Speaker 2: somebody who like, we were always like this is the

685
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:36,600
Speaker 2: one it's gonna unlock. Always playing with Tab in Houston.

686
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:38,800
Speaker 2: Oh my god, here it comes. Wait now, all right,

687
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:40,520
Speaker 2: that didn't work out. But he's going to Columbus will

688
00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:42,480
Speaker 2: for Nazi. Oh my god, he's gonna be awesome. We

689
00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,840
Speaker 2: did that every time, so man, Derek Jones was good.

690
00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:49,080
Speaker 2: A couple more here. This one's from Frank Dolan. Frank

691
00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:53,080
Speaker 2: ass Tab, what player on your team with the public

692
00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,520
Speaker 2: not know is an absolute maniac? Uh?

693
00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:58,960
Speaker 1: Does that mean someone I played with? I would say,

694
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:00,320
Speaker 1: not someone I coached and.

695
00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:02,000
Speaker 2: Let you, I'll let you take it wherever you are,

696
00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:03,400
Speaker 2: you know, I.

697
00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,320
Speaker 1: Would say with people I would take that to people

698
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:07,000
Speaker 1: I played with.

699
00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:07,320
Speaker 2: Uh?

700
00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:13,120
Speaker 1: That that people outside of our World Cup team did

701
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:18,320
Speaker 1: not really know the intensity with which Bruce Murray took

702
00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:22,840
Speaker 1: the field every day. I mean, if Bruce's socks didn't

703
00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:25,800
Speaker 1: fit right, he would just throw a table out the window.

704
00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,480
Speaker 1: I mean he was just that intense. I was roommates

705
00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,280
Speaker 1: with him a couple of times, and he was intensity

706
00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:35,640
Speaker 1: to like the tenth degree.

707
00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,040
Speaker 2: I love that answer. Those are good. I think that

708
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:40,800
Speaker 2: was probably a good choice to go with the teammates

709
00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,120
Speaker 2: rather than guys you coach. Statute of limitations I think

710
00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,440
Speaker 2: has expired on some of those quickly. On this one.

711
00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:49,880
Speaker 2: This this is from Ben Wright Waldo kits just good

712
00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:53,360
Speaker 2: or awesome. And for those who haven't seen, there's been

713
00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:57,280
Speaker 2: nothing official, but there's been some leaks that the striped red,

714
00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:59,479
Speaker 2: white striped kids, there's gonna be a version of that

715
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,320
Speaker 2: United States at the World Cup. So if that is true,

716
00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,120
Speaker 2: just good or all I would say.

717
00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:06,080
Speaker 1: If it's true, I would say, awesome. Why not? It

718
00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:08,080
Speaker 1: looks like the flag. If you remember back in nineteen

719
00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:10,640
Speaker 1: ninety four, we had this one right here as one,

720
00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,440
Speaker 1: and then we had the other one that was striped

721
00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:15,239
Speaker 1: up and down. I like the stripes across a little

722
00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,840
Speaker 1: bit better. I think awesome. That would be my answer.

723
00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:23,160
Speaker 2: Tap pointed at the iconic denim shirt for those just

724
00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:25,480
Speaker 2: listening on the podcast, that is my I think that

725
00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:26,960
Speaker 2: one's my favorite of all time. Do you do you

726
00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:27,879
Speaker 2: have a favorite of all time?

727
00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:31,320
Speaker 1: I think as much as I hated this denim one,

728
00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:32,520
Speaker 1: I think.

729
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:34,880
Speaker 2: It was it was it like, what was it like

730
00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:35,360
Speaker 2: to play in that?

731
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,440
Speaker 1: No? It was it was obviously obviously not Denham material.

732
00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:39,680
Speaker 2: It was right.

733
00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:42,879
Speaker 1: It was just it weighed like forty pounds like every

734
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:47,719
Speaker 1: other jersey back then. But no, it was fine. It

735
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:49,880
Speaker 1: was It was fine to play with and it was

736
00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,120
Speaker 1: a nice in the end, ended up being a nice

737
00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:54,440
Speaker 1: looking jersey that that would be my favorite.

738
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,279
Speaker 2: I cut you off as you were does so then

739
00:34:56,360 --> 00:35:00,759
Speaker 2: the Denham would be okay, some more some more here

740
00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:02,959
Speaker 2: As we got a little bit of time to keep going,

741
00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:05,880
Speaker 2: we got a lot of comments about Christian Pulisic and

742
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,000
Speaker 2: I think that I'm gonna ask about his future because

743
00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:11,360
Speaker 2: he's killing at an asy Milan. What you re signed?

744
00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:13,560
Speaker 2: Do you go somewhere else? What's going? This is from

745
00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:17,960
Speaker 2: Spicy Nocchi on Poolsick to Manchester United Man You heck no,

746
00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:20,600
Speaker 2: Actually he's just not built for the Premier League? Could

747
00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:23,080
Speaker 2: he go to Spain? Yeah? I think I think so.

748
00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:26,439
Speaker 2: But Italy or Spain is the best fit? What say you, tab?

749
00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:30,360
Speaker 1: I think good players are built for every league, so

750
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:33,919
Speaker 1: I'll start with that. Having said that, I think he's

751
00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:37,799
Speaker 1: in a great place. Now, I do agree with the

752
00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:41,960
Speaker 1: person that sent that message and saying that potentially Spain

753
00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,200
Speaker 1: and Italy are the best places for him to be.

754
00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:47,040
Speaker 1: But let's think about that for a second. So okay,

755
00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:48,880
Speaker 1: so let's say he goes to Spain. So if he

756
00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:52,799
Speaker 1: goes to Spain, likely not going to Real Madrid or Barcelona,

757
00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:56,000
Speaker 1: which means best case scenario after that would be Athletico

758
00:35:56,080 --> 00:36:00,919
Speaker 1: Madrid and Athletico Madrid. Is that an upboard move from

759
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,840
Speaker 1: ac Milan. I mean, he's at a great club. Stay

760
00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:06,640
Speaker 1: where you are. He's doing great. He's playing in a

761
00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:10,120
Speaker 1: solid league for one of the best clubs in the

762
00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,839
Speaker 1: history of world football, and I think he should stay there.

763
00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:15,080
Speaker 1: There's no need for him to move.

764
00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:20,000
Speaker 2: I'm with you there. Hopefully Ace Milan opens the checkbooks

765
00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:22,840
Speaker 2: on that one, because there will be again, particularly with

766
00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:24,839
Speaker 2: the money in England, there's I'm sure that there's gonna

767
00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:26,719
Speaker 2: be some of the lures. But I agree with you

768
00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,160
Speaker 2: just in terms of on the field. It's it's an

769
00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:31,759
Speaker 2: awesome fit. It's an awesome club, but legendary club, historic club,

770
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:34,800
Speaker 2: and he's their starman right now and long may that

771
00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:37,279
Speaker 2: continue as long as at Milan put the money in

772
00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:39,879
Speaker 2: front of him. A quick one, this one from David

773
00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,680
Speaker 2: Day and he just made a prediction Pullsick, which joined

774
00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:45,360
Speaker 2: the Chicago Fire soon after the World Cup hashtag Pulsick

775
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:51,520
Speaker 2: two MLS. For me, I'm I don't have any one

776
00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,160
Speaker 2: hundred percent information. All of this stuff is fluid. I

777
00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:58,800
Speaker 2: had heard for years Pulsick may come to MLS sooner

778
00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:01,319
Speaker 2: than you think, and I don't like that is a

779
00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:03,000
Speaker 2: super vague thing to hear, but I heard that from

780
00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:05,839
Speaker 2: enough people. So Pulsk is twenty seven now, and he'll

781
00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,440
Speaker 2: be twenty seven his birthdays in September twenty seven, at

782
00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:11,040
Speaker 2: the World Cup this summer. The following one, he'll be

783
00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:14,040
Speaker 2: thirty one. I think there's a possibility he comes to

784
00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:16,600
Speaker 2: MS between the World Cups. I wouldn't I wouldn't go

785
00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:18,960
Speaker 2: as far as say that's likely, but I certainly don't

786
00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:21,480
Speaker 2: think that's off the table, and particularly as the money

787
00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:26,440
Speaker 2: continues to grow around MLS. If the David Beckham deal

788
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:28,239
Speaker 2: one of one Lionel MESSI deals a one of one.

789
00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:30,960
Speaker 2: Pulsik might be the next guy. I think that there'd

790
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,040
Speaker 2: be a lot of interest centrally around MLS as well.

791
00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:37,799
Speaker 2: Maybe there's a new rule added in the future that

792
00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:40,920
Speaker 2: helps grease the wheels for US MNT guys to come back,

793
00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:42,920
Speaker 2: because I know that's something that the league and the

794
00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,960
Speaker 2: clubs care about. But I think he will play in

795
00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:49,239
Speaker 2: MLS one day, and whether that, I think that could

796
00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:52,279
Speaker 2: happen before this twenty thirty World Cup, but if not,

797
00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:53,520
Speaker 2: then maybe soon after.

798
00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:57,120
Speaker 1: That, and it could happen. I think he's getting to

799
00:37:57,160 --> 00:37:59,279
Speaker 1: that age where I think this is the type of

800
00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:02,880
Speaker 1: signing with where potentially after the World Cup would be

801
00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:07,240
Speaker 1: interesting for MLS. Maybe not immediately after, because I think

802
00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:10,520
Speaker 1: as well as he's doing at AC Milan, I don't

803
00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:12,080
Speaker 1: think it would be good for him to move and

804
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,359
Speaker 1: come back home yet. But I think we're likely within

805
00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,160
Speaker 1: two years maybe or two and a half years of

806
00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,520
Speaker 1: Christian coming back, and I could potentially see him at

807
00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:26,000
Speaker 1: a team like Miami Inter Miami or you know, LAFC,

808
00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:29,040
Speaker 1: one of those teams. I don't see him in Chicago,

809
00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:32,080
Speaker 1: but you never know. You know, the ownership in Chicago

810
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:34,960
Speaker 1: spending a lot of money and sometimes obviously and how

811
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,880
Speaker 1: that works with the money. But I can see him

812
00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,200
Speaker 1: a little bit more being in Miami. His parents now

813
00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:43,160
Speaker 1: live in South Florida, and I could see him going there.

814
00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,120
Speaker 2: His father was at M West Cup in Fort Lauderdale

815
00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:49,799
Speaker 2: this year. He was just there to watch. That wasn't

816
00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,120
Speaker 2: anything to do with Christian. He was just nearby and

817
00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:53,759
Speaker 2: wanted to catch a good game. But that is an

818
00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:55,960
Speaker 2: interesting point. We got a lot of comments and I

819
00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:58,120
Speaker 2: get a lot of texts about a little bit of

820
00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:01,160
Speaker 2: tab appreciation. So I'm gonna run through these from Brianna

821
00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:03,759
Speaker 2: Cody showing my age. But Tab is my favorite US

822
00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:06,000
Speaker 2: men soccer player. Always loved the style of play. Wish

823
00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:08,440
Speaker 2: he got a shot at coaching the US team. Maybe

824
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,880
Speaker 2: he knows better. From Joseph Lemir, Tab would be my

825
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,000
Speaker 2: choice to follow Potch after the World Cup. Measured intelligent

826
00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,720
Speaker 2: and authentic in his demeanor Louis Silva one hundred percent,

827
00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:20,840
Speaker 2: Tab is our best player in US M and D history.

828
00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:24,080
Speaker 2: With a fifteen exclamation points and this last one, I

829
00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,200
Speaker 2: don't like this last one from Bana one two, three four.

830
00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:28,360
Speaker 2: Tabri almost is so smart he should do his own podcast.

831
00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:30,360
Speaker 2: You try to defect. What's come on?

832
00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:33,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know what. I'm happy to hear my family

833
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:40,400
Speaker 1: finally chiming in. They were ignoring my podcast, and now

834
00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:43,800
Speaker 1: it looks like they're on board. So happy to hear that. Hey, Adam,

835
00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:47,759
Speaker 1: all those things I will agree with authentic that that

836
00:39:48,280 --> 00:39:48,719
Speaker 1: for sure.

837
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:54,080
Speaker 2: I a few more here before we get to your story,

838
00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:58,040
Speaker 2: from my friend Eric Krakauer, a wonderful professional broadcast. He

839
00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:00,840
Speaker 2: does a lot of NWSL work right now, works in Charlotte,

840
00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:02,080
Speaker 2: does a lot of good stuff. If you guys don't

841
00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:05,520
Speaker 2: know Eric Kratkower, go check him out. Eric says tab

842
00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:08,000
Speaker 2: a spot on. I'd add that calling the group the

843
00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:11,640
Speaker 2: Golden Generation is not only inflated their perception of the quality,

844
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:17,520
Speaker 2: but also created unrealistic expectations on my end, because I

845
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:21,000
Speaker 2: use the term Golden Generation colloquially before, just because I

846
00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:23,080
Speaker 2: think that that's an easy way to say it, and

847
00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:25,359
Speaker 2: there's always a lot of pushback of okay, well, that

848
00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:27,400
Speaker 2: means that this is a one off, that this isn't repeatable,

849
00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:29,000
Speaker 2: and this is just you know, a moment in time.

850
00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:31,799
Speaker 2: I don't feel that way. I think that with the

851
00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:35,320
Speaker 2: way that the academy structure is you soccer again, and

852
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:36,840
Speaker 2: tab I would give you, I think a lot of

853
00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,480
Speaker 2: credit for your tenure within US Soccer and with the

854
00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,640
Speaker 2: U twenties and everything else really helping streamline that and

855
00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:44,919
Speaker 2: improve it, and it continues to get better. We're gonna

856
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:49,279
Speaker 2: keep producing players like Polisic McKinney. There are a lot

857
00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:51,720
Speaker 2: of guys that are If Poolsick was born in Egypt,

858
00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:54,880
Speaker 2: if Poolisick was born in Australia or England or Spain

859
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,440
Speaker 2: or wherever, I don't think it matters. I think that

860
00:40:57,480 --> 00:40:58,920
Speaker 2: he's gonna find his way to the top because he's

861
00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:01,520
Speaker 2: just that special player. But the academy system has developed

862
00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:04,160
Speaker 2: a whole lot of players that wouldn't quite be the case,

863
00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:08,680
Speaker 2: particularly in our historyes as US Soccer Federation. That is

864
00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:10,840
Speaker 2: going to continue to grow and grow and make the

865
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,480
Speaker 2: players like Polisic better and make the players again like Pulisic, McKinney,

866
00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:16,720
Speaker 2: Richard some of the special special talents to the arena.

867
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,680
Speaker 2: That kid probably came out of the womb with the

868
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:21,040
Speaker 2: soccer ball at his foot. That these players will have

869
00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:24,759
Speaker 2: better around them and better training in their youth that

870
00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:27,080
Speaker 2: has them ready for the top levels. So in terms

871
00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:29,359
Speaker 2: of Golden Generation. I just use that more colloquially than

872
00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:32,400
Speaker 2: suggesting that it's, you know, a one time thing. But

873
00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:35,680
Speaker 2: more to Eric's questions, have do you think the expectations

874
00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:37,680
Speaker 2: have been too high so far for these players?

875
00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:40,960
Speaker 1: Uh? No, I don't. Actually. I think we have a

876
00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:44,359
Speaker 1: good group of players, and I think the expectations have

877
00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:48,279
Speaker 1: been really according to what we see from them and

878
00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:51,960
Speaker 1: how we see them perform. I think that the label

879
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:54,400
Speaker 1: came for them a little bit too early, and I

880
00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:58,200
Speaker 1: think that likely hurt them because expectations were too high

881
00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:01,520
Speaker 1: at the beginning. But in the end, the goal was

882
00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:03,600
Speaker 1: to have a good twenty twenty six World Cup, and

883
00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:06,799
Speaker 1: I think we're on our way to doing that. I

884
00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:11,720
Speaker 1: do agree that what you're saying about what has been done,

885
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,960
Speaker 1: and let's say at the MLS level and by US Soccer,

886
00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:19,080
Speaker 1: that we will continue to have more consistency in developing

887
00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:23,720
Speaker 1: good players. I do think that players like Policic don't

888
00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:27,400
Speaker 1: come along often right. I think they are not created

889
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:32,080
Speaker 1: by an academy. These are special talents, and special talents

890
00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:34,040
Speaker 1: you have to get lucky for them to come along,

891
00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:38,360
Speaker 1: because they come along on their own. There's no metrics

892
00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:42,200
Speaker 1: that MLS will develop that will make another policic that's

893
00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:45,880
Speaker 1: just not going to happen. But you're right, I think

894
00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:49,399
Speaker 1: there will be more consistency and developing good players who

895
00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:52,480
Speaker 1: are going to be able to perform on big teams

896
00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:54,200
Speaker 1: all over the world going into the future.

897
00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:56,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I just have one more small point dand

898
00:42:56,719 --> 00:42:59,920
Speaker 2: on this two and you know, talking about unreasonable expectations.

899
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:03,279
Speaker 2: I think that had more to do with I think

900
00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:06,920
Speaker 2: in twenty twenty two we over indexed on the idea

901
00:43:06,920 --> 00:43:12,200
Speaker 2: of potential and this I don't think thought I thought

902
00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:13,799
Speaker 2: that I don't think that they overperformed to the twenty

903
00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:15,439
Speaker 2: two were Cup, But I don't think I certainly don't

904
00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:17,600
Speaker 2: think that they underperformed. And I thought that was a

905
00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:20,640
Speaker 2: lot of the criticism and maybe and maybe a different manager,

906
00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:22,040
Speaker 2: maybe it would have been different. But I thought that

907
00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:26,000
Speaker 2: Burlt and the coaching stept did fine. And we spend

908
00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:29,239
Speaker 2: so much time talking about what Giorana might be one day,

909
00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:31,960
Speaker 2: what Serginio desk might be one day, what all of

910
00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:33,600
Speaker 2: these guys and when you're back in twenty twenty two,

911
00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:35,960
Speaker 2: this was the youngest team at the twenty twenty two

912
00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:40,200
Speaker 2: Work Cup, and I think just as conversationally as we

913
00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:42,200
Speaker 2: talk about this stuff, I think we've gone a little

914
00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:45,319
Speaker 2: bit too far and talking about potential and stuff like

915
00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:48,399
Speaker 2: that versus like, hey, what is what are this group

916
00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:50,759
Speaker 2: of players right now? And this isn't just the United

917
00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,440
Speaker 2: States thing. I think this can be extrapolated to just

918
00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:56,800
Speaker 2: all general soccer conversations. Is I think we over index

919
00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:00,399
Speaker 2: on potential and don't focus enough on the right now

920
00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:03,160
Speaker 2: in current output. So I think that's just something to

921
00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:05,799
Speaker 2: look at it. This is the tournament coming up, the

922
00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:09,799
Speaker 2: one that should have the highest expectations, but just like

923
00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:12,279
Speaker 2: the potential isn't guaranteed. It's a great thing to happen,

924
00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:14,000
Speaker 2: it's a great thing to work towards and hopefully get to,

925
00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:16,560
Speaker 2: but you have to take the team at face value

926
00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:18,839
Speaker 2: where they are in any given moment in time. And

927
00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:20,879
Speaker 2: I think the twenty twenty World Cup they did fine.

928
00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:22,640
Speaker 2: One more here on the.

929
00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:24,880
Speaker 1: No no no. I was just gonna sum it up with one play.

930
00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,520
Speaker 1: I think you know, if you if you recall the

931
00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:32,040
Speaker 1: play that Gi Arena made, right, we all think about

932
00:44:32,080 --> 00:44:33,560
Speaker 1: the same play. Which play is that?

933
00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:34,279
Speaker 2: Right?

934
00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:37,279
Speaker 1: He's at the ass decay, he makes the run Jimbos

935
00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:42,320
Speaker 1: through five or six Mexican players and ends up going nowhere.

936
00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:45,319
Speaker 1: In the end, nothing happens out of that play. No,

937
00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:47,040
Speaker 1: but here's where I'm going with that. And this is

938
00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:50,759
Speaker 1: not this is not negative towards anyone. This is where

939
00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:53,359
Speaker 1: I'm going with that. We look at that play and

940
00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:56,440
Speaker 1: we and we translated into what that's going to be

941
00:44:56,600 --> 00:45:00,959
Speaker 1: like in the future. Okay, we're thinking he's nineteen years

942
00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:03,759
Speaker 1: old or twenty years old and he did that, What

943
00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:06,319
Speaker 1: is that going to be like in five years? Oh,

944
00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:09,440
Speaker 1: that's gonna be amazing. But then we get disappointed when

945
00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:13,200
Speaker 1: that doesn't happen. Right, And I think that play summarizes

946
00:45:13,239 --> 00:45:15,719
Speaker 1: a lot of what this has been. Right, It's been

947
00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:20,920
Speaker 1: about all projections, all predictions of where we're going to

948
00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:24,880
Speaker 1: be and how, and then we get disappointed when exactly

949
00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:27,080
Speaker 1: what we thought was going to happen doesn't happen.

950
00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:31,400
Speaker 2: I think that's a really fair point and a poetic

951
00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:33,880
Speaker 2: way to put it together. Last question here, This is

952
00:45:33,880 --> 00:45:37,200
Speaker 2: from David Wisp. My biggest question mark is the center backs,

953
00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:39,359
Speaker 2: which mixes the best? How do they work with the center?

954
00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:41,719
Speaker 2: Miss fence's key. We've looked very aggressive in the back through,

955
00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:43,799
Speaker 2: which is great, but if defense fails, we will not

956
00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:45,399
Speaker 2: be getting to the later rounds of the World Cup.

957
00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:47,160
Speaker 2: So I would say that is the biggest focus to

958
00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:50,360
Speaker 2: really get the chemistry and lock in that chemistry tab.

959
00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:53,880
Speaker 2: What is your preferred I guess again, if it is

960
00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:56,759
Speaker 2: indeed with the three center backs, what is your preferred

961
00:45:57,120 --> 00:46:00,719
Speaker 2: I guess center back partnership and not just for individual talent,

962
00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:02,120
Speaker 2: but the way that they work with each other.

963
00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:06,280
Speaker 1: Well, I think you know, I and I've been excluding

964
00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:09,719
Speaker 1: Tim Reim from my three always pretty much because I

965
00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,919
Speaker 1: just think we need a little bit more athleticism out

966
00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:15,880
Speaker 1: of the back, and I think you know, with the

967
00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:17,640
Speaker 1: ball on his feet, he doesn't give us so much

968
00:46:17,680 --> 00:46:20,640
Speaker 1: more than everyone else. But let's just take for example

969
00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:24,520
Speaker 1: that you know, Mariso Bogettino decides because you know, we

970
00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:26,880
Speaker 1: can tell by now that that Tim Reim is a

971
00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:29,839
Speaker 1: very important piece to him. So let's say Tim Reim

972
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:33,240
Speaker 1: was going to play. So if I had to redo

973
00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:36,120
Speaker 1: the back three, I would definitely play with three in

974
00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:38,160
Speaker 1: the back in the center. Whether you can call it

975
00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:40,440
Speaker 1: five in the back or three in the back, I

976
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:43,560
Speaker 1: really don't care which. That'll be something else. If we

977
00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:45,880
Speaker 1: ever talked about tactics that I'd like to discuss but

978
00:46:46,239 --> 00:46:49,080
Speaker 1: but I would actually put Tim Reim in the center,

979
00:46:49,280 --> 00:46:50,920
Speaker 1: not one of the two guys on the side. I

980
00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:53,439
Speaker 1: would put him in the center because he's a little

981
00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:57,000
Speaker 1: bit more protected from being one v one potentially on

982
00:46:57,040 --> 00:46:59,239
Speaker 1: the sideline. That's that's what I would do. And then

983
00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:02,000
Speaker 1: on one side you would have Chris Richards and potentially

984
00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:04,440
Speaker 1: on the other side you could have you know, McKenzie

985
00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:07,480
Speaker 1: or Robinson or you know whoever you'd want to have.

986
00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:09,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, this will be an interesting one that we keep

987
00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:13,120
Speaker 2: talking about. I think that will even be something after

988
00:47:13,160 --> 00:47:15,279
Speaker 2: the first group stage game. Hey, does this make sense?

989
00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:17,200
Speaker 2: It does work. This will be kind of an eternal

990
00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:19,600
Speaker 2: debate and looking forward to talking more and more about it.

991
00:47:19,640 --> 00:47:22,160
Speaker 2: But speaking of breaks, we need to go take one

992
00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:23,759
Speaker 2: more break. We'll be right back. We have a tap

993
00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:26,560
Speaker 2: story about the shot heard around in the world. That's

994
00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:29,200
Speaker 2: what we're calling it in the United States, beating Trinidad

995
00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:31,560
Speaker 2: to qualify the World Cup. We're gonna be right back

996
00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:33,400
Speaker 2: with that. Thank you for listening to Inside American Soccer.

997
00:47:33,440 --> 00:47:35,920
Speaker 2: Please right for viewing, Subscribe and we'll get to that

998
00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:49,600
Speaker 2: story in one second. Welcome backs Inside American Soccer and

999
00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:51,080
Speaker 2: we're going inside the locker room. I think it was

1000
00:47:51,080 --> 00:47:53,839
Speaker 2: my favorite part of the show. And there is a

1001
00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:56,920
Speaker 2: wealth of different different eras, different times, different things to

1002
00:47:56,960 --> 00:47:59,360
Speaker 2: go to. I think this is one of the ones

1003
00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:01,480
Speaker 2: I was most looking forward to hearing tab So tab

1004
00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:04,200
Speaker 2: the shot herd around the world. The United States goes

1005
00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:07,160
Speaker 2: down to Trinidad in nineteen eighty nine and beats Trinidad

1006
00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:10,440
Speaker 2: and Tobago one nil to qualify for the World Cup.

1007
00:48:10,760 --> 00:48:13,359
Speaker 2: What do you remember about that day and what made

1008
00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:14,440
Speaker 2: it so very special?

1009
00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:18,360
Speaker 1: Yeah? I remember a lot so when I had it

1010
00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:21,200
Speaker 1: to answer the question when I had when I if

1011
00:48:21,200 --> 00:48:23,520
Speaker 1: there's a game that I think about most, it would

1012
00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:26,560
Speaker 1: have to be that one because it was special. And

1013
00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:29,720
Speaker 1: by the way, I always like to mention what happened

1014
00:48:29,719 --> 00:48:32,600
Speaker 1: before us too, because you know, let's not forget that.

1015
00:48:32,840 --> 00:48:34,920
Speaker 1: You know, in nineteen thirty the US team made it

1016
00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:38,160
Speaker 1: to the semifinals, even if it was few, just a

1017
00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:40,200
Speaker 1: few teams in the in the World Cup. And in

1018
00:48:40,280 --> 00:48:43,600
Speaker 1: nineteen fifty we beat England, and I wish I could

1019
00:48:43,680 --> 00:48:47,080
Speaker 1: actually see that game because I don't think there can

1020
00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:50,960
Speaker 1: potentially be a bigger win, like bigger underdogs than that

1021
00:48:51,200 --> 00:48:55,279
Speaker 1: actual game. And now we fast forward from you know,

1022
00:48:55,320 --> 00:48:58,759
Speaker 1: from nineteen fifty, and we get to nineteen eighty nine

1023
00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:00,960
Speaker 1: for you know, thirty nine years later, to try to

1024
00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:03,879
Speaker 1: qualify for a World Cup fourty years later. And here

1025
00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:06,319
Speaker 1: we are, you know, sort of in the We go

1026
00:49:06,440 --> 00:49:09,680
Speaker 1: get through the middle of qualifying, and you know, it

1027
00:49:09,840 --> 00:49:12,799
Speaker 1: was a time in which not old teams played on

1028
00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:15,719
Speaker 1: the same u the fixtures were not all on the

1029
00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:19,040
Speaker 1: same weekends. So actually we get into the last three

1030
00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:22,319
Speaker 1: or four games of qualifying and I think Costa Rica

1031
00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:25,560
Speaker 1: had already played all their games, and we almost needed

1032
00:49:25,560 --> 00:49:27,879
Speaker 1: to win three out of four to qualify, or two

1033
00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:30,279
Speaker 1: out of four and not lose a game, because don't

1034
00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:32,759
Speaker 1: forget back, then there was two points for a win

1035
00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:36,359
Speaker 1: and one for a tie. So we I believe, had

1036
00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:38,800
Speaker 1: to get at least two wins and two ties in

1037
00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:40,920
Speaker 1: the last four games in order to even you know,

1038
00:49:41,200 --> 00:49:43,480
Speaker 1: have a shot at this. So we get into the

1039
00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:46,920
Speaker 1: we I think we got to two ties in a win,

1040
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,600
Speaker 1: and we go into Trinidad and Tobago. The last game

1041
00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:54,080
Speaker 1: November nineteenth, nineteen eighty nine. Trinidad and Tobago is in

1042
00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:58,560
Speaker 1: second place. We're in third place, and we need they

1043
00:49:58,560 --> 00:50:02,200
Speaker 1: were a point ahead of us. The top two are

1044
00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:05,760
Speaker 1: going and Trinidad. All they need is a tie at home,

1045
00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:08,120
Speaker 1: and so we have to go into Trinidad and Tobago

1046
00:50:08,760 --> 00:50:10,879
Speaker 1: with a tie, they're in the World Cup. We need

1047
00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:14,719
Speaker 1: to win on the road. We had played Trinidad at

1048
00:50:14,719 --> 00:50:17,359
Speaker 1: home in California and had tied one to one at

1049
00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:21,399
Speaker 1: home and in our first game. So we go there

1050
00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:24,520
Speaker 1: and as we get there, we realize that this is

1051
00:50:25,080 --> 00:50:29,120
Speaker 1: a national celebration. They had already declared a national holiday.

1052
00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:32,880
Speaker 1: You know, they were counting on going to the World

1053
00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:35,759
Speaker 1: Cup the next you know, over the next couple of

1054
00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:37,840
Speaker 1: days and for the first time ever in their history,

1055
00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:41,240
Speaker 1: and we play. You know, we we go to the stadium.

1056
00:50:41,239 --> 00:50:44,160
Speaker 1: There's you know, there's forty thousand people in a twenty

1057
00:50:44,200 --> 00:50:49,200
Speaker 1: six thousand seat stadium. People are climbing fences, there's a

1058
00:50:49,239 --> 00:50:53,560
Speaker 1: sea of red everywhere. Tons of pressure obviously on us

1059
00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:56,000
Speaker 1: because we were a young team and we really didn't

1060
00:50:56,040 --> 00:50:59,240
Speaker 1: know what we were doing. Although although as I mentioned before,

1061
00:50:59,360 --> 00:51:05,560
Speaker 1: my experience at the Brooklyn Italians was very helpful. But we,

1062
00:51:05,760 --> 00:51:07,680
Speaker 1: you know, we get it. We get to the stadium's

1063
00:51:07,719 --> 00:51:10,200
Speaker 1: incredible amount of pressure and then we get to this moment.

1064
00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:12,640
Speaker 1: And I've said this before, although I haven't said it

1065
00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:16,319
Speaker 1: on this show. There was There's always those moments when

1066
00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:18,279
Speaker 1: you're in the tunnel with the other team where the

1067
00:51:18,320 --> 00:51:21,120
Speaker 1: other team tries to intimidate you because you're both walking

1068
00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:24,040
Speaker 1: out together and the crowd is roaring outside and you

1069
00:51:24,120 --> 00:51:25,520
Speaker 1: kind of see the light at the end of the

1070
00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:30,080
Speaker 1: tunnel as you walk out together. And we could see

1071
00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:33,560
Speaker 1: from our side as we're walking out that the Trinidad

1072
00:51:33,560 --> 00:51:37,040
Speaker 1: players were so tense and they seemed almost scared, And

1073
00:51:37,080 --> 00:51:39,359
Speaker 1: that was the moment where we thought, you know what,

1074
00:51:39,440 --> 00:51:42,400
Speaker 1: I think we got these guys. I think we're gonna

1075
00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:45,040
Speaker 1: do this. That's the first time where I felt like

1076
00:51:45,120 --> 00:51:48,919
Speaker 1: there was some confidence, because normally teams try to intimidate you.

1077
00:51:48,920 --> 00:51:50,920
Speaker 1: You know, they're let's go, you know, and all these

1078
00:51:50,920 --> 00:51:53,839
Speaker 1: things going on, and they were quiet, and there wasn't

1079
00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:56,000
Speaker 1: a lot going on, and I felt like the pressure

1080
00:51:56,040 --> 00:51:58,960
Speaker 1: had gotten to them a lot more obviously than it

1081
00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:02,839
Speaker 1: had gotten to with their whole whole country behind them

1082
00:52:03,200 --> 00:52:05,759
Speaker 1: and our country. By the way, I'm not even sure

1083
00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:07,480
Speaker 1: if our game was live at home, it might have

1084
00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:10,439
Speaker 1: been on tape delay, like most people in the US

1085
00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:13,680
Speaker 1: didn't even know we were playing that day, And anyway,

1086
00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:16,600
Speaker 1: we walk onto the field, We walk onto the field,

1087
00:52:16,719 --> 00:52:19,600
Speaker 1: sold out stadium and all that stuff, and and we

1088
00:52:19,800 --> 00:52:21,840
Speaker 1: you know, poll kll of jury scores a goal I

1089
00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:25,440
Speaker 1: think late in the first half and and uh and

1090
00:52:25,520 --> 00:52:27,600
Speaker 1: we get to win and and we make it to

1091
00:52:27,640 --> 00:52:29,839
Speaker 1: the World Cup. But that was That's a game. When

1092
00:52:29,880 --> 00:52:32,000
Speaker 1: I have to think of games that I go back to,

1093
00:52:32,160 --> 00:52:35,040
Speaker 1: I think about that game and the players that were there,

1094
00:52:35,160 --> 00:52:38,120
Speaker 1: you know, the Peter Vermiz and John Harris and you know,

1095
00:52:38,239 --> 00:52:41,480
Speaker 1: and and Brian Bliss's of the world who you know,

1096
00:52:41,640 --> 00:52:45,440
Speaker 1: Steve Tritschee, guys that that you know that sometimes not

1097
00:52:45,640 --> 00:52:48,319
Speaker 1: everybody thinks about who helped us pull this through?

1098
00:52:49,480 --> 00:52:52,320
Speaker 2: No, and like again knowing that we were going to

1099
00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:55,479
Speaker 2: talk about this, just pulling up the goal that Paul

1100
00:52:55,520 --> 00:52:57,440
Speaker 2: call Jory scored and the way that you guys all

1101
00:52:57,440 --> 00:52:59,160
Speaker 2: dog pile on him as he's on the ground, he

1102
00:52:59,160 --> 00:53:01,680
Speaker 2: evades a defender. It's a little bit of a half

1103
00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:03,800
Speaker 2: volley because the ball's bouncing, he puts it over the

1104
00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:06,960
Speaker 2: keeper incident that like, man, this is just an iconic

1105
00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:10,960
Speaker 2: moment in our country's history, in our soccer federation's history.

1106
00:53:11,200 --> 00:53:12,600
Speaker 2: And that was in the thirtieth minute.

1107
00:53:12,640 --> 00:53:16,200
Speaker 1: And well if you think about it, you know, I

1108
00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:18,680
Speaker 1: think it was. However, many years we had to go

1109
00:53:18,719 --> 00:53:21,120
Speaker 1: back to Trinidad and we got knocked out. Right, this

1110
00:53:21,160 --> 00:53:24,640
Speaker 1: is twenty eighteen, you know. I think Bruce was coaching

1111
00:53:24,680 --> 00:53:26,759
Speaker 1: that team, and I think it might have been the

1112
00:53:26,800 --> 00:53:29,799
Speaker 1: same field that was, you know, flooded, had a lot

1113
00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:32,120
Speaker 1: of water on it. Well, that day, when you're talking

1114
00:53:32,160 --> 00:53:35,120
Speaker 1: about the ball bouncing, I receive a throw in from

1115
00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:38,360
Speaker 1: Brian Bliss. I turn and I try to control the ball.

1116
00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:41,000
Speaker 1: And if there was one thing I could do, I'd

1117
00:53:41,000 --> 00:53:43,359
Speaker 1: say pretty well, it was control the ball. But the

1118
00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:46,480
Speaker 1: field was like it was like playing on marble. It

1119
00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:49,759
Speaker 1: was like marble. It was like impossible for the ball

1120
00:53:49,880 --> 00:53:53,279
Speaker 1: not to bounce. And I actually played pole calla Juri

1121
00:53:53,400 --> 00:53:55,920
Speaker 1: a bad ball, and the bad ball I play him

1122
00:53:56,000 --> 00:53:59,360
Speaker 1: is bouncing and it forces him to dribble around this

1123
00:53:59,440 --> 00:54:02,400
Speaker 1: first place by putting the bowl over him or something

1124
00:54:02,520 --> 00:54:04,920
Speaker 1: like that, and then he unleashes his shot from like

1125
00:54:04,920 --> 00:54:07,920
Speaker 1: thirty yards out there. I think the goalkeeper wasn't expecting

1126
00:54:07,960 --> 00:54:10,920
Speaker 1: it because his dive. I think the goalkeeper kind of

1127
00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:13,239
Speaker 1: looks like he's diving into a pool. He doesn't even

1128
00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:16,840
Speaker 1: look like he's diving sideway. So anyway, but the field

1129
00:54:16,920 --> 00:54:18,960
Speaker 1: is so bad that I think on a good feel

1130
00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:20,560
Speaker 1: that goal likely couldn't happened.

1131
00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:22,480
Speaker 2: It would have been it would have been different. You

1132
00:54:22,480 --> 00:54:23,719
Speaker 2: would have played it on the ground and it would

1133
00:54:23,719 --> 00:54:24,920
Speaker 2: have been it would have been rolled. It would have

1134
00:54:24,920 --> 00:54:28,080
Speaker 2: looked more silk. I continue to play back the video

1135
00:54:28,160 --> 00:54:31,400
Speaker 2: as like the ball, you didn't even like fire the

1136
00:54:31,400 --> 00:54:33,319
Speaker 2: pass in. It was clearly that you were working that

1137
00:54:33,360 --> 00:54:36,200
Speaker 2: were like knowing that the field can stuff. It hits

1138
00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:38,800
Speaker 2: the ground and it it was like a like astro

1139
00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:41,560
Speaker 2: turf like king like into his like mid section, and

1140
00:54:41,600 --> 00:54:43,160
Speaker 2: it was really good first touch by him. And then

1141
00:54:43,200 --> 00:54:44,759
Speaker 2: like you said, I I set him off with the

1142
00:54:44,800 --> 00:54:47,600
Speaker 2: momentum to uh flick it around a defender and then

1143
00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:50,880
Speaker 2: the ball keeps bouncing because it looks like marble concrete

1144
00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:53,040
Speaker 2: and then uh my god, what a goal.

1145
00:54:53,760 --> 00:54:56,080
Speaker 1: And then and then the rest and the rest is history,

1146
00:54:56,360 --> 00:54:58,440
Speaker 1: you know. Then we fly back to the airport in

1147
00:54:58,560 --> 00:54:59,960
Speaker 1: US and no one's there.

1148
00:55:00,040 --> 00:55:05,480
Speaker 2: Wait, these goes people ask me if you want Hey,

1149
00:55:05,520 --> 00:55:13,080
Speaker 2: who are you guys? That's a nice tracksuit you played college? Yeah,

1150
00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:16,080
Speaker 2: Oh my god. And then again this this this ended

1151
00:55:16,120 --> 00:55:18,879
Speaker 2: the drought for the United States, getting to the World

1152
00:55:18,880 --> 00:55:21,200
Speaker 2: Cup in ninety which helps set the foundation for ninety four,

1153
00:55:21,640 --> 00:55:24,319
Speaker 2: which really is the launching point for so many of

1154
00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:27,320
Speaker 2: the great, great things. And you know, who knows exactly

1155
00:55:27,520 --> 00:55:29,680
Speaker 2: what history might have been if if this goal doesn't

1156
00:55:29,719 --> 00:55:32,480
Speaker 2: go in. And like you said, going into that final day,

1157
00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:35,400
Speaker 2: United States and Trinidad were tied on nine points, but

1158
00:55:35,480 --> 00:55:38,560
Speaker 2: Trinidad had the goal difference, so they knew they just

1159
00:55:38,600 --> 00:55:41,640
Speaker 2: needed the one point. And it's funny to think about

1160
00:55:41,640 --> 00:55:44,080
Speaker 2: that that ties that wins were only two points back then.

1161
00:55:44,760 --> 00:55:45,960
Speaker 2: Is when I was looking, I was like looking at

1162
00:55:45,960 --> 00:55:48,279
Speaker 2: the standings before and I was like, oh, wow, they

1163
00:55:48,280 --> 00:55:50,439
Speaker 2: topped the group, like because Costa Rica had eleven points,

1164
00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:52,840
Speaker 2: so they beat Trinidad, that must gives them twelve. And

1165
00:55:52,880 --> 00:55:56,080
Speaker 2: then looking back again and man, what a different time.

1166
00:55:56,120 --> 00:55:58,439
Speaker 2: But these are these are the moments that that this

1167
00:55:58,440 --> 00:56:00,719
Speaker 2: this federation is built off of. And I don't know,

1168
00:56:00,760 --> 00:56:03,960
Speaker 2: I'd never tired from it. What was the plane ride back?

1169
00:56:03,960 --> 00:56:07,279
Speaker 2: Were you guys all celebrating jovial laughing or was it

1170
00:56:07,360 --> 00:56:09,040
Speaker 2: a little bit of an exhil.

1171
00:56:09,719 --> 00:56:12,440
Speaker 1: Well, it was really unbelievable because we you know, as

1172
00:56:12,560 --> 00:56:14,920
Speaker 1: all of the things that we joke about, right because

1173
00:56:15,239 --> 00:56:18,440
Speaker 1: you know, it was such a different time. You still

1174
00:56:18,520 --> 00:56:20,759
Speaker 1: can't believe you're actually going to the World Cup. Now

1175
00:56:20,760 --> 00:56:23,200
Speaker 1: you're going to play against the best players in the world.

1176
00:56:23,239 --> 00:56:26,120
Speaker 1: So you know, it was really exciting. It was really emotional,

1177
00:56:28,000 --> 00:56:30,080
Speaker 1: you know, and it was it was it was those

1178
00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:32,800
Speaker 1: moments when you achieved something that you likely don't believe

1179
00:56:32,840 --> 00:56:35,840
Speaker 1: you ever can, you know, And now you're picturing yourself

1180
00:56:36,040 --> 00:56:38,480
Speaker 1: playing in front of the world, in front of you know,

1181
00:56:38,800 --> 00:56:41,880
Speaker 1: full stadiums, and you know, it's just a it was

1182
00:56:41,960 --> 00:56:42,800
Speaker 1: just a great feeling.

1183
00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:47,320
Speaker 2: So when you guys are on you know, economy United

1184
00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:49,680
Speaker 2: flight and you're in the middle seat in row thirty

1185
00:56:49,680 --> 00:56:52,880
Speaker 2: three and Tony's in twenty seven on the aisle, how

1186
00:56:52,880 --> 00:56:54,560
Speaker 2: are you guys talking over all the people who had

1187
00:56:54,600 --> 00:56:55,719
Speaker 2: no idea who you were.

1188
00:56:56,120 --> 00:56:58,879
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was really exciting. It was really exciting when

1189
00:56:58,960 --> 00:57:01,560
Speaker 1: the people were going, we're yes from you guys, Florida State.

1190
00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:07,200
Speaker 2: What the team is? This was It wasn't a private

1191
00:57:07,280 --> 00:57:07,839
Speaker 2: jet back then.

1192
00:57:08,160 --> 00:57:10,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're the Florida State cricket team. We just had

1193
00:57:10,600 --> 00:57:14,919
Speaker 1: a trip to Trinidad. It was And by the way,

1194
00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:18,840
Speaker 1: it wasn't United, it was before that it was Continental Airlines. Yeah,

1195
00:57:18,840 --> 00:57:20,400
Speaker 1: and it might have been. I mean, we might have

1196
00:57:20,480 --> 00:57:24,160
Speaker 1: been on pan Am for all I know, I don't

1197
00:57:24,200 --> 00:57:24,840
Speaker 1: know what it was.

1198
00:57:26,720 --> 00:57:29,880
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, this is gonna inspire hope that this

1199
00:57:29,960 --> 00:57:33,480
Speaker 2: inspired some listeners who if there was also before their time,

1200
00:57:33,520 --> 00:57:35,880
Speaker 2: to really go back and dive into that watch all

1201
00:57:35,880 --> 00:57:38,120
Speaker 2: the clips that you can possibly find, because this is

1202
00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:40,280
Speaker 2: sparking me that when we end this show, I think

1203
00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:43,240
Speaker 2: that'll be the first thing I do. But TAP. Thank

1204
00:57:43,280 --> 00:57:45,760
Speaker 2: you as always, Thank you to everybody listening who submitted

1205
00:57:45,760 --> 00:57:48,360
Speaker 2: some questions and comments in the mail bag. Please, you know,

1206
00:57:49,040 --> 00:57:51,919
Speaker 2: rate review, leave comments. That's how some other people find

1207
00:57:51,920 --> 00:57:54,240
Speaker 2: the show as well. Show us who love We really

1208
00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:57,640
Speaker 2: do appreciate it. Tap. We will be back next week.

1209
00:57:57,840 --> 00:57:59,800
Speaker 2: As we keep on rolling here through the winter, there

1210
00:57:59,880 --> 00:58:02,360
Speaker 2: is an endless supply of things to talk about with

1211
00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:04,280
Speaker 2: the United States national team. We've got some of the

1212
00:58:04,320 --> 00:58:06,160
Speaker 2: transfer news that's going to be coming up here as

1213
00:58:06,480 --> 00:58:09,000
Speaker 2: always is in January, so stay tuned to that and

1214
00:58:09,040 --> 00:58:11,200
Speaker 2: thank you all for listening. We'll be back very gracious.