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Speaker 1: I have to tell you, I think if Giorna starts

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Speaker 1: against Belgium, I don't.

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Speaker 2: Think European teams are his cup of tea.

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Speaker 1: I don't think gi Arena will do well if he

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Speaker 1: plays in these games. I'd be surprised if he does

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Speaker 1: not have him played there for his club.

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Speaker 3: Greetings, folks, and welcome back to Inside American Soccer. I'm

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Speaker 3: Matt Doyle, the armchair analyst, filling in for new dad

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Speaker 3: Tom Poker for a couple more weeks. We have a

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Speaker 3: special Saint Patrick's Day edition of the show because the

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Speaker 3: March Roster is finally here for the US men's national team,

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Speaker 3: and I'm honored to be joined by my good friend

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Speaker 3: who knows a thing or two about playing for the

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Speaker 3: US men's national team, one of the greatest players in

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Speaker 3: US soccer history. I'm talking, of course, about tab Ramos,

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Speaker 3: newly returned from one of my favorite places in the world, Madrid.

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Speaker 3: We're gonna be breaking down all things for the March

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Speaker 3: Camp Roster. Tab Tell me about your trip, man, How

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Speaker 3: was it being on the other side of the ponds.

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Speaker 2: Yeah? Well, first of all, you know, I really like

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Speaker 2: that intro.

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Speaker 1: You know, every time, you know saying about my World

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Speaker 1: Cups and all that stuff. But anyway, Uh, secondly, i'd

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Speaker 1: say I try to wear a little green today if

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Speaker 1: you notice. You know, obviously for you know, our listeners,

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Speaker 1: they can't see that. But I'm I'm I'm trying to.

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Speaker 1: I'm trying to go along with a little bit of

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Speaker 1: Saint Patrick's day and join the spirit and uh, which

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Speaker 1: was difficult today because today was a good day for red,

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Speaker 1: white and blue.

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Speaker 2: To be honest, I decided to.

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Speaker 1: Go with the green. But uh, but yeah, my I mean,

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Speaker 1: my trip to Madrid was uh, it was, it was

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Speaker 1: truly great.

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Speaker 2: You know.

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Speaker 1: I got to be at the at the Madrid Man

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Speaker 1: City game on Wednesday, you know, the Champions League game,

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Speaker 1: and then I stayed for a couple of days did it.

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Speaker 1: My son had a couple a little bit of work

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Speaker 1: with Marcelo uh to do for a company inside the

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Speaker 1: real Madrid city so in the in the in the grounds,

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Speaker 1: in the.

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Speaker 2: Real Madrid ground.

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Speaker 1: So we spent a lot of time there for a

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Speaker 1: couple of days, and then we stayed to watch their

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Speaker 1: league game against LJA on Saturday, which we got to

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Speaker 1: see Artagoula's goal from seventy yards away, which was incredible, Right,

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Speaker 1: So it was a great week besides the fact that

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Speaker 1: you know, when you go to Madrid, the most important thing,

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Speaker 1: regardless of what you do, is the food.

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Speaker 2: How great the food is.

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Speaker 1: So we did what I just mentioned and the rest

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Speaker 1: of the time, basically we were eating the whole time.

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Speaker 3: And how often were you checking your phone to see

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Speaker 3: if somebody had leaked the US roster ahead of time?

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Speaker 3: Was there a little bit of focus on that as well,

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Speaker 3: a little bit of anticipation.

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Speaker 1: It was minute to minute really all the way up

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Speaker 1: until we're starting the podcast. You know, we're waiting, We're

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Speaker 1: waiting for the news to come out and excited about

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Speaker 1: it because of the importance of this call up. Right,

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Speaker 1: this is a really important one in which a lot

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Speaker 1: of players are playing.

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Speaker 2: You know.

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Speaker 1: It reminds me of the excitement of going to a

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Speaker 1: World Cup, and I think a lot of players know

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Speaker 1: that this is it, this is their chance to go

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Speaker 1: to the Walk Cup.

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Speaker 2: So very important call up and happy to see it out.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and Muricio Pochettino said repeatedly that the time for

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Speaker 3: experimentation was over. Now it's the time to lock in

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Speaker 3: the roster to win jobs for the last few guys

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Speaker 3: on the roster to treat this like the World Cup itself.

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Speaker 3: Now they are only friendlies, so we'll predict our starting

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Speaker 3: elevens for the match against Belgium, and plus we'll go

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Speaker 3: into the locker room with tab back a few decades

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Speaker 3: ago ahead of the nineteen ninety eight World Cup. Pretty

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Speaker 3: famous friendly win leading up to that one against Austria,

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Speaker 3: I believe, I if memory serves, and that launched the

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Speaker 3: three six one, which soon became the infamous three to

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Speaker 3: six one for the US men's national team. But let's

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Speaker 3: get into it. Muricio Pochettino was good to his word

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Speaker 3: and that this is not an experimental roster. There's nobody

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Speaker 3: on this thing who's completely out of the blue. It's

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Speaker 3: all guys that we've seen before. But then there's also

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Speaker 3: a few guys who we expect to see but didn't.

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Speaker 3: I have listed as snubs Patrick Schulti. There are four

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Speaker 3: goalkeepers on this roster. He is not one of them.

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Speaker 3: I don't really care. We all know Matt Freeze is

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Speaker 3: the number one, Matt Turners the number two. Uh, but

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Speaker 3: I am surprised that there's no Alexan Dejas and no

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Speaker 3: Diego Luna, I think you had Zendejas as close to

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Speaker 3: a lock. Is that correct?

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Speaker 2: Yeah?

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Speaker 1: You know, Uh, I always respect the fact that Zinde

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Speaker 1: has plays for a big club under a lot of

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Speaker 1: pressure every week, and I know he's.

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Speaker 3: Had and there's the ten, which is huge, right, that's responsibility.

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Speaker 2: No question.

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Speaker 1: The significance of wearing the ten in the Latin American

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Speaker 1: country is always huge. Uh. He plays for the biggest

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Speaker 1: club in Mexico. You know, I'm I'm sorry a little

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Speaker 1: bit to the Chieves fans, but that's really the reality.

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Speaker 1: Uh and uh and to the g Greates fans, by

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Speaker 1: the way, which you know, obviously a club I love.

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Speaker 1: But uh, but yeah, Zinde has has had a great season.

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Speaker 1: You could potentially say that he's their best player. And

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Speaker 1: although he's had some injuries on don't off this year,

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Speaker 1: he is a consistent, let's say, player who delivers in

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Speaker 1: the final third, time after time and important moments for America.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: I'm really surprised not to see him in this roster.

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Speaker 1: So if I had to pick one that surprised me

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Speaker 1: the most in terms of not seeing them here, uh,

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Speaker 1: it would he would certainly be the one. Obviously the goalkeepers.

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Speaker 1: I always make fun of myself in terms of like,

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Speaker 1: I don't know what's going out with the goalkeepers.

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Speaker 2: No I, nor do I really care that much.

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Speaker 1: But I agree with you with the fact that Chelte

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Speaker 1: not being one of the four surprises me a little bit,

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Speaker 1: right because we I didn't think he'd be one of

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Speaker 1: the three potentially, you know, but him not being one

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Speaker 1: of four surprises me.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. The four goalkeepers are Matt Freeze, Matt Turner, and

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Speaker 3: then Chris Brady and Roman Celentano, who you know, It's

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Speaker 3: been an up and down year for s C Cincinnati,

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Speaker 3: but that's not Sellentino's fault. I'm happy with any of

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Speaker 3: those two guys, Brady or selling Tino or Shalty being

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Speaker 3: the third guy on the roster. I don't think really

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Speaker 3: it matters who the third goalkeeper is other than for

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Speaker 3: vibes and keeping the locker room loose. Back to the

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Speaker 3: other stubs, Diego Luna surprises me.

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Speaker 1: Matt, Matt, Matt if I could add to that, right

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Speaker 1: because you mentioned a little bit, but just just for

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Speaker 1: the fans, a little bit in terms of that third

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Speaker 1: goalkeeper role which you briefly mentioned there so normally as

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Speaker 1: a as a third world goalkeeper on a big roster

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Speaker 1: like this. It's exactly right what you're saying. The coach

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Speaker 1: is thinking, I want to bring a veteran older guy

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Speaker 1: mid thirties who's been there, done that in every way,

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Speaker 1: who can put his arm around players in the locker room, right,

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Speaker 1: that's important.

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Speaker 2: Or he can go the young route, right and select

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Speaker 2: like a.

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Speaker 1: Under twenty, under nineteen player who is going to come

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Speaker 1: along and just have eyes wide open right looking into

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Speaker 1: the future and here we're Nazi and either one of

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Speaker 1: those things.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, the closest would be Brady, who is still I

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Speaker 3: think just twenty two years old. He's been very good

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Speaker 3: for the Chicago Fire for a couple of years now.

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Speaker 3: But none of these guys is super super young. Again,

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Speaker 3: I don't think it matters as long as the vibes

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Speaker 3: are high, and the vibes have been high over the

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Speaker 3: past few camps, past three camps. Really A big part

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Speaker 3: of that was Diego Luna. He has been ever present

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Speaker 3: for Mauricio Pochettino ever since he made his debut. Cars

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Speaker 3: famously broke his nose and played through it, and the

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Speaker 3: coach loved that. Now he missed the start of the

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Speaker 3: MLS season, only made his debut this past weekend. I

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Speaker 3: thought that would be enough to get him into this roster.

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Speaker 3: Clearly it was not. I don't know if this is

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Speaker 3: something that Pochettino has talked to Luna and maybe RSL

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Speaker 3: about and said, hey, get one hundred percent that fit.

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Speaker 3: You have a clear path even if you're not on

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Speaker 3: this roster, or if this is a message given the

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Speaker 3: way Pocheccino's worked, It wouldn't surprise me if it was

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Speaker 3: the second. But those are two guys in Zantejas and

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Speaker 3: Luna who play in those pockets underneath the forward, who

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Speaker 3: add a little bit of creative final third flare. And

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Speaker 3: it ends up being an opportunity for say a Brendan Aronson,

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Speaker 3: who hasn't been super productive under Potchettino but has had

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Speaker 3: a pretty good year for for Leeds in the Premier League.

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Speaker 3: It ends up being an opportunity maybe to see Weston

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Speaker 3: McKenny in one of the spots because he's been playing

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Speaker 3: a lot as a number ten for Juventus, and ends

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Speaker 3: up being an opportunity for Gio Raina, who is on

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Speaker 3: this roster even though he barely plays at the club level.

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Speaker 3: But tab we saw it against Paraguay, and he started

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Speaker 3: against Paraguay, had a goal. He came off the bench

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Speaker 3: against Uruguay, had an assist, looked like he hadn't missed

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Speaker 3: a beat, even though he's essentially not a club player

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Speaker 3: at this point in his career.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so first on the on the Luna situation, right,

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Speaker 1: I would think that Luna help Pushattino likely more and

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Speaker 1: hear me out on this, I think Diego Luna helped

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Speaker 1: Pushchatino more likely than any other player to instill that

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Speaker 1: mentality into the team. Of these are the type of

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Speaker 1: players that Puschettino is happy with. You have to, above

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Speaker 1: everything else, be a fighter who wants to win all

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Speaker 1: the time. And and because of that, I don't think

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Speaker 1: that Pushatino is sending a message to to Luna.

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Speaker 2: He knows what Luna is all about.

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Speaker 1: I think, if any if I'm reading this correctly, and

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Speaker 1: of course I may be wrong, but if I'm reading

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Speaker 1: this correctly, I'm thinking that Luna's just getting his legs

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Speaker 1: under him.

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Speaker 2: It's probably better for him to continue training.

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Speaker 1: And this is a player that Pushettino has in his

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Speaker 1: back pocket who will go to the World Cup anyway.

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Speaker 2: This is how I'm reading it.

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Speaker 1: Now on the gior Rena. You know, Jireina really surprises me.

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Speaker 1: I agree with you that you know that he played

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Speaker 1: a great game against Paraguay. In that window, he scored aheader.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I think he closed his eyes as he

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Speaker 1: as he hit that ball.

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Speaker 2: But you know, heading is not his thing. But he

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Speaker 2: scored aheader and he played well.

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Speaker 1: And we know we sort of have been expecting Geo

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Speaker 1: to do more and more, and in that game he

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Speaker 1: did deliver. You know, I'm I'm I'd have to say

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Speaker 1: that Poschettino likely is looking more into the World Cup

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Speaker 1: and seeing what he looks like physically with the team.

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Speaker 1: I have to tell you, I think if if gior

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Speaker 1: Reina starts against Belgium, I don't think European teams are

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Speaker 1: his cup of tea. I I don't think Giorrena will

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Speaker 1: do well if he plays in these games. I'd be

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Speaker 1: surprised if he does not have him played there for

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Speaker 1: his club. But we will see. Obviously, Pachettino is knows better.

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Speaker 1: He's the head coach, but I'm surprised to see that.

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Speaker 1: At the same time, what I'm not surprised about is

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Speaker 1: that he brings them into the fold because he knows

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Speaker 1: in the World Cup, at the end of the day,

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Speaker 1: we're playing against Paraguay again and Australia again, and he

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Speaker 1: knows that Gio Raina can do well in those games.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, because those are teams that are probably going to

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Speaker 3: sit back. The US will have more of the ball

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Speaker 3: in the final third, and when it comes to picking

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Speaker 3: locks in the final third, there's a lot of good

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Speaker 3: options on the US team, includings in Dejas and Luna

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Speaker 3: if they were there. Geo's a level above. He's the

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Speaker 3: creative spark that he has. I don't think anybody else

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Speaker 3: in this roster can match it other absences Sadly no

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Speaker 3: Noahkai Banks. He's dual national. He had been in the

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Speaker 3: US program since the U seventeens. Germany turned his head.

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Speaker 3: All the reporting is that he has decided to turn

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Speaker 3: down calls from the US because he sees a path

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Speaker 3: to play for the German national team. I don't know

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Speaker 3: if that closes the door on him for the US

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Speaker 3: for good, but it certainly does seem to close the

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Speaker 3: door on him representing the US at this World Cup.

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Speaker 3: I mean it's a it's a home World Cup, and

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Speaker 3: he would get to play for the host country, and

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Speaker 3: there's a pretty clear path to a starting line into

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Speaker 3: the starting lineup for him, So like we weren't going

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Speaker 3: to get him now then, like it as it was

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Speaker 3: very clear that like this was the best chance. It

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Speaker 3: feels like that.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think we we read that correctly last time,

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Speaker 1: you know, when we analyzed his his words about potentially

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Speaker 1: the World Cup now being the most important moment to

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Speaker 1: choose and that he was concerned more with his full career.

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Speaker 1: And I think I mentioned on this show last week

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Speaker 1: when when we heard that that if I'm reading correctly,

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Speaker 1: he was saying, if I have any chance at all

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Speaker 1: to play for Germany, that's what I'm gonna hold off for.

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Speaker 1: And I think we read that right. That's what's happening here.

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Speaker 1: Are we completely off the table for Noahkai Banks to

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Speaker 1: come to the US and the answer would be no,

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Speaker 1: but Germany will have the chance, and likely there has

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Speaker 1: been some type of conversation at some level that Germany

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Speaker 1: is looking at him and this is why he's holding back.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. Other absences all injury related, Haji Wright, I had

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Speaker 3: actually missed this. Had to just scramble a little bit

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Speaker 3: and do some research just before we went started recording this.

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Speaker 3: But Haji Wright picked up a groin injury midweek, which

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Speaker 3: is a bummer because he had been playing really well

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Speaker 3: in the Championship and played really well for the US

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Speaker 3: the last couple of camps. Tyler Adams missed this past

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Speaker 3: week's game was just precautionary, but obviously precautionary enough for

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Speaker 3: him to be ruled out of this camp. And Virginia

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Speaker 3: pulled his hamstring a couple of weeks ago. I think

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Speaker 3: they're expecting a six to eight week injury, so he

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Speaker 3: would hopefully be back by the start of May, get

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Speaker 3: a couple of camp or a cap, get a couple

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Speaker 3: of appearances in for PSV, and then hopefully be in

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Speaker 3: that World Cup camp. That has opened the door between Noah,

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Speaker 3: Guy Banks, and Desk, in particular for Austin Trusty, who

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Speaker 3: of course started against Uruguay and that that famous five

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Speaker 3: to one that the US had back in November. And

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Speaker 3: Joe Scalley, who has been in and out of rosters

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Speaker 3: for Pochettino over the past year and a half.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, uh, you know, it's it's really unfortunate for Sogenio

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Speaker 1: Desk to get this injury at this time, but he.

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Speaker 2: Does have he does have time, you know.

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Speaker 1: I the difficult part is, you know, like I'm going

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Speaker 1: to go into this a little bit later when we

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Speaker 1: discussed the uh, the players approach going into the World Cup.

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Speaker 1: But the difficult situation for Sugenio is will he be

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Speaker 1: fit enough to be in the World Cup and will

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Speaker 1: he have the game rhythm to be in the World.

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Speaker 2: Cup, because that's that truly is important. So so we

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Speaker 2: will see.

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Speaker 1: Having said that, this is part of what this is about, right,

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Speaker 1: you have to play hard every day and and when

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Speaker 1: you and you, when.

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Speaker 2: You play hard, these sort of things happen.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. Uh, let's talk a little bit about the guys

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Speaker 3: who need to play their way into the camp. Now.

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Speaker 3: I mentioned Scally and Trustee, it feels like they have

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Speaker 3: a real opportunity here. The other ones are Ricardo Peppi,

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Speaker 3: who the you know, I've had him fourth on my

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Speaker 3: depth chart at center forward behind flow Balligan who's unquestioned

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Speaker 3: starting number nine, but also Pat Ogimont and Hanji Wright,

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Speaker 3: then Johnny Cardoso and Aiden Morris and door is open

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Speaker 3: for one of them. It feels like given Tyler Adams

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Speaker 3: picked up an injury, Obviously, Johnny Cardoso plays for a

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Speaker 3: much bigger team, very used to playing in very big games,

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Speaker 3: has not showed it for the US national team at all.

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Speaker 3: I think Morris has shown a little bit better for

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Speaker 3: the US national team play for a much smaller team,

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Speaker 3: but also plays in big games. He's in a promotion

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Speaker 3: fight in the championship, and we know that that is

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Speaker 3: all blood and thunder, So it's you know, the opportunity

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Speaker 3: is there for those two guys. I'm taking it as

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Speaker 3: a given that Christian Roldan has earned his way into

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Speaker 3: the team because just like the Diego Luna point you made,

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Speaker 3: tab I think rolled on what he did in terms

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Speaker 3: of galvanizing that team, especially in central midfield as they

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Speaker 3: changed their shape against Japan, ended up being the catalyst

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Speaker 3: for this now five game, six game run that the

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Speaker 3: US is on of good performances. But it feels like

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Speaker 3: there's an opportunity here at defensive midfield and at forward

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Speaker 3: with the injury and forced absences to Tyler Adams and

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Speaker 3: Hadgi Raight.

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Speaker 1: And it opened it opens up doors, you know, and

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Speaker 1: that's what you're waiting for. I uh, you know, when

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Speaker 1: I look at I think there's really three players that

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Speaker 1: are that are playing for this one position now, and

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Speaker 1: certainly Johnny Cardozo has been playing big games and doing

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Speaker 1: well in him I'm hoping that if he does get

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Speaker 1: the opportunity, that he will deliver the way he delivers

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Speaker 1: in for his club in Europe a little bit more,

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Speaker 1: because truly we haven't seen it for the national team.

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Speaker 2: Uh.

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Speaker 1: Now, if this happened to be me, I think I

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Speaker 1: think eight Morris is likely the better fit to play

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Speaker 1: next to Testament and behind potentially you know, if we're

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Speaker 1: saying now we're moving McKinnie a little bit higher. Uh

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Speaker 1: you know, McKinney could potentially go into that spot too.

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Speaker 3: Right.

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Speaker 2: But and Sebastian Burholter has.

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Speaker 1: Done well, right, I mean he you know, with with

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Speaker 1: the last couple of games that he's played, he's played

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Speaker 1: himself back into the roster and into an important position

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Speaker 1: in the roster. So I think it'll be really interesting

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Speaker 1: to see what Marisio Pachattino decides. But but yeah, I mean,

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Speaker 1: you know, Aiden Morris isn't now although he's well, you know,

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Speaker 1: we obviously have to say as a second division in

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Speaker 1: England in the championship, he plays an.

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Speaker 2: Important role and he does play a little.

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Speaker 1: Bit higher though, Yeah, but I think he would be

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Speaker 1: for me likely the best fit there.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it'll be. I think it'll be a big tell

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Speaker 3: seeing who gets that that start against Belgium. Obviously we

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Speaker 3: both have Tyler Adams at number one on the depth

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Speaker 3: chart among defensive midfielders, and it isn't it's a race

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Speaker 3: to see who will be his backup. I just personally

359
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Speaker 3: think you have to take two guys behind Tyler who

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Speaker 3: can play that position because defensive midfielders pick up a

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Speaker 3: lot of yellow cards over the course of the tournament.

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Speaker 3: We of course saw it back in two thousand and

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Speaker 3: six Pablo Manstron he got a red card, so without

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Speaker 3: him in that spot ended up being Claudio Arena, who

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Speaker 3: was not a defensive midfielder, starting at de mid in

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Speaker 3: a must win game that didn't go well. So you

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Speaker 3: need depth there on top of it, not just because

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Speaker 3: of suspension possibilities, but because Tyler is a frequently injured player.

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Speaker 3: The other absence the other snub that I guess we

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Speaker 3: should have mentioned, it didn't. Unus Mussa, he got a

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Speaker 3: cup of coffee for Atalanta over the past couple of

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Speaker 3: weeks had a couple of good games and then sort

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Speaker 3: of dropped back, you know, out of the rotation again.

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Speaker 3: It's it's disappointing because four years ago we all thought

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Speaker 3: the kid had the world at his feet, and now

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Speaker 3: it seems like he basically doesn't have a path onto

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Speaker 3: this roster.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that is disappointing.

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Speaker 1: And I and I have to say, I'm a big

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Speaker 1: fan of Unice Musa and what he can do on

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Speaker 1: the field. You know, the couple of times that I

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Speaker 1: that we saw him over the last year and a

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Speaker 1: half with the national team. We're mostly on that wide position,

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Speaker 1: which I thought were never a good fit for him,

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Speaker 1: although it had Talanta. When he comes in, he's kind

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Speaker 1: of playing on that right side too, the few minutes

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Speaker 1: that he gets. I do think that there's a lot

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Speaker 1: more in the tank there with Musa.

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Speaker 2: I think potentially, and I know that this is not

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Speaker 2: going to happen now, but I.

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Speaker 1: Think that potentially Musa could play that role of that

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Speaker 1: defensive midfielder where Adams is not. Unfortunately, I think that

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Speaker 1: it seems like, you know, it's it's getting too late

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Speaker 1: for that for for Unice Musa, and it's and it's

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Speaker 1: unlikely that he'll he'll come back in.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's another story of when you move. Look, man,

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Speaker 3: it's it's a short career. And I don't blame any

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Speaker 3: player for taking the most money that they can get,

399
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Speaker 3: but for national team consideration, for the overall arc of

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Speaker 3: your career consideration, you got to think about how you

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00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:49,639
Speaker 3: fit into the club that you're moving to. And I

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00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,640
Speaker 3: don't know if Unice Mussa had a really great grasp

403
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Speaker 3: on that when he made this out Alanto move, because

404
00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:59,280
Speaker 3: he really is surplus goods for them for how they play.

405
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Speaker 3: It hasn't helped him at all. And this was maybe

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Speaker 3: my favorite player in the pool back in the twenty

407
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Speaker 3: twenty two cycle. I just loved what he could do

408
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,080
Speaker 3: in terms of getting on the ball and breaking lines

409
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Speaker 3: with the ball on his foot and compromising opposing defensive shapes.

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Speaker 3: And we don't really have that in the group without him.

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Speaker 3: The other guys who play the number eight are different profiles.

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Speaker 3: Tander testament is really good and he's going to be

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Speaker 3: in my starting eleven, which you'll hear here in a second.

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Speaker 3: And as Tab said, Sebastian Berhalter has been excellent the

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00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,600
Speaker 3: past few games for the white Caps, but also past

416
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Speaker 3: few games for the US national team, so there are options,

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Speaker 3: but Unos Mussa was a little bit different and it's

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Speaker 3: disappointing that he won't be on this roster and almost

419
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Speaker 3: certainly won't be at the World Cup. But for us

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Speaker 3: it is time for a break. We'll be right back

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Speaker 3: with our projected starting elevens for the Belgium match. Please rate, review,

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Speaker 3: and subscribe to Inside American Soccer at Tom Bogert and

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Speaker 3: tab Ramos wherever you got your podcasts. Welcome back to

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Speaker 3: Inside American Soccer. Let's get right to a table. Let's

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Speaker 3: predict our starting elevens for the Belgium match. I guess

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Speaker 3: I'll go first, and I'm going to ask to see

427
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Speaker 3: from the Putchetino. Mostly what I think is the chalk

428
00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:30,920
Speaker 3: starting eleven, our best eleven, accounting for a couple absences,

429
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Speaker 3: obviously Tyler Adams being the big one, and to me

430
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Speaker 3: that means Matt Freese in goal. He has earned that one.

431
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,199
Speaker 3: And then left to right along the back line, I

432
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Speaker 3: want to see Anthony Robinson, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson and

433
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Speaker 3: then Alex Freeman at right back. And we all know

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Speaker 3: that it's a back four that shifts in two or three. Right,

435
00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:57,720
Speaker 3: That's what we've seen, and what I want to see

436
00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,920
Speaker 3: from that is Alex Freeman all that attacking wingback role

437
00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,080
Speaker 3: that he played so well against the Uruguay. But then

438
00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,400
Speaker 3: the real experiment here is Jedi Robinson. Instead of being

439
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,440
Speaker 3: an over an overlapping full back, which is what we've

440
00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:14,600
Speaker 3: gotten used to him as over the years, I want

441
00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:18,400
Speaker 3: to see him slide in to that back three because

442
00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:22,440
Speaker 3: I think he has the physicality to handle center forwards,

443
00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,000
Speaker 3: but also the speed very obviously to protect in behind

444
00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,600
Speaker 3: as the US plays a high line. But then the

445
00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,400
Speaker 3: wild card in that is when he gets the ball

446
00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,359
Speaker 3: on his foot, he has the ability to carry it

447
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,520
Speaker 3: forward through the first line of any opposing pressure, which

448
00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:42,720
Speaker 3: would then compromise their shape and hopefully create chances create

449
00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:47,520
Speaker 3: openings for the likes of Polistic and McKenny and flow Balligan.

450
00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,840
Speaker 3: In front of them, I have a double pivot of

451
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,360
Speaker 3: Tanner Testman and Johnny Cartoso, and I don't rate Johnny

452
00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:57,479
Speaker 3: Cartos so he has not played well for the US.

453
00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,199
Speaker 3: This is last Chancealoon. Let's see how he does a

454
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:03,439
Speaker 3: big game with something close to the first eleven around him.

455
00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,320
Speaker 3: In front of them left to right, would be Christian polistic,

456
00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:12,119
Speaker 3: it would be Weston McKenny as the ten, and then

457
00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:15,159
Speaker 3: I want to see Tim Weya as the right winger,

458
00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,680
Speaker 3: and then flow Balligan up top.

459
00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,399
Speaker 1: Okay, so I'll read mine note first, which is not

460
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,480
Speaker 1: much different. Different reasons for mine, but I think and

461
00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,760
Speaker 1: then we can I think we can debate a little

462
00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,200
Speaker 1: bit on why. So obviously I made mine not according

463
00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,040
Speaker 1: to what I want to see, but according to the opponent,

464
00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:37,840
Speaker 1: which will be Belgium, right. I think one of the

465
00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,600
Speaker 1: things to take into consideration is that Doku plays that

466
00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:45,320
Speaker 1: left side for Belgium, and Doku is one of the

467
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:49,760
Speaker 1: most informed players in the world today. If I had

468
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,040
Speaker 1: to name three or four players in the world were

469
00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:55,560
Speaker 1: in their best form, I would name Doku as one

470
00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,720
Speaker 1: of those players. And because of that, if I'll explain

471
00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,320
Speaker 1: it this, If if I had to select a team

472
00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,960
Speaker 1: from scratch, just who the best players available that we

473
00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,160
Speaker 1: have at this moment, with the roster that we have,

474
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,720
Speaker 1: I would choose Tim Waya on this roster to play

475
00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:15,280
Speaker 1: that wide position. Because we're playing Belgium.

476
00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:16,280
Speaker 2: I would not do that.

477
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,080
Speaker 1: I would choose someone who's a little bit better defensively

478
00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:23,359
Speaker 1: than Tim Waya. And because of that, my lineup looks

479
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:25,760
Speaker 1: like this. So I'm gonna go with Freezing Goal, which

480
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:28,160
Speaker 1: we know he's going to be in goal. I'm gonna

481
00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,959
Speaker 1: choose three center backs and those will be uh Robinson,

482
00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:36,800
Speaker 1: Richards and Reim. I just think that Mauricio Postino will

483
00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:39,240
Speaker 1: continue to play Reem, although that I would I would

484
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:40,640
Speaker 1: rather see McKenzie there.

485
00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:42,480
Speaker 2: I think Reim will play.

486
00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:47,520
Speaker 1: And Jedi Robinson on on the left side and Alex

487
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,200
Speaker 1: Freeman on the right side instead of Weea.

488
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,280
Speaker 3: Like which one of those got because we know that

489
00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:56,199
Speaker 3: Putch doesn't have both fullbacks overlapping, So who's going to overlap?

490
00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:57,479
Speaker 3: Is it going to be Alex Freeman on the right

491
00:25:57,560 --> 00:25:58,840
Speaker 3: or Jedi Robinson on the I.

492
00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,000
Speaker 1: Think it could be either one, but I think because

493
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,480
Speaker 1: Doku will be on that left side, I think you

494
00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,880
Speaker 1: just have to be a lot more careful with sending

495
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,600
Speaker 1: people forward from our right side. So I would I

496
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,200
Speaker 1: would put Alex Freeman there and not give them the

497
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:17,960
Speaker 1: full freedom to constantly attack from that side, but to

498
00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,960
Speaker 1: be a little bit more careful because it literally will

499
00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,679
Speaker 1: take five seconds on a counter for Doku to be

500
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,040
Speaker 1: in our box. And and certainly something to consider it.

501
00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,320
Speaker 1: But by the way, not just because it's US. Every

502
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,040
Speaker 1: team in the world would consider this right. Doku is

503
00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:38,320
Speaker 1: a dangerous player, so but but but this lineup still

504
00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:41,199
Speaker 1: gives you the freedom for both outside backs to attacks.

505
00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,679
Speaker 1: So if if if you know, Alex Freeman were to

506
00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,359
Speaker 1: go forward, Jedi could could drop in.

507
00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,520
Speaker 2: If Jedi were to go forward, then I would have

508
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:52,480
Speaker 2: Alex Freeman drop in.

509
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:55,920
Speaker 1: I would never on this lineup have both outside backs

510
00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:57,040
Speaker 1: attacking at the same time.

511
00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,480
Speaker 2: So that would be my answer, uh to your question.

512
00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,679
Speaker 1: In the center of the field, just the replacement for

513
00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:10,240
Speaker 1: me would be Johnny Cardoso replacing Taler Adams, keeping Tenor

514
00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:15,320
Speaker 1: Tessaman next to him and pushing McKinney up into the

515
00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:20,760
Speaker 1: double role with Polisic behind Ballogan up top.

516
00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:24,960
Speaker 3: So very similar lineups from the two of us. I

517
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:26,720
Speaker 3: think we want to see the same things, right. We

518
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:31,159
Speaker 3: want to see how Johnny does with that close to

519
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,160
Speaker 3: first eleven around him. We want to see how Weston

520
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,840
Speaker 3: does as a pure attacking player, and we want to

521
00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:43,120
Speaker 3: see what the balance will be along that back line.

522
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,840
Speaker 3: And it against a team like Belgium. You get answers

523
00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,199
Speaker 3: to two of those three things. Even if the answers

524
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:54,199
Speaker 3: aren't what you want, then you have used the friendlies

525
00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:59,639
Speaker 3: pretty well. What else should we be looking for from

526
00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,879
Speaker 3: the lineup? Stat Do we care about possession? Do we

527
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:05,960
Speaker 3: care about how comfortable they are stringing the ball together

528
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:07,840
Speaker 3: in the final third? Or is it how we'll do

529
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,320
Speaker 3: on the counter attack? Do you have an eye on

530
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:11,600
Speaker 3: anything tactical like that.

531
00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:15,680
Speaker 1: Well, I think there's no question that what's going to

532
00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:20,040
Speaker 1: be difficult for us is to play against teams that

533
00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,440
Speaker 1: number one can hold the ball better than we can.

534
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:25,119
Speaker 2: So that's a challenge.

535
00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:28,480
Speaker 1: How we defend on a low block, how organized we

536
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,760
Speaker 1: can be on a low block, And then also how

537
00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:34,920
Speaker 1: we manage when we have the ball on the opposing

538
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:38,600
Speaker 1: side of the field, how we manage the transitional moments

539
00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:43,440
Speaker 1: into defending. That has always been a problem for us,

540
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,600
Speaker 1: let's say, for the last thirty years, which is really

541
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:52,560
Speaker 1: the problem for most confederate national teams outside of Europe.

542
00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:57,160
Speaker 1: It has always been how to manage the European team's

543
00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:58,640
Speaker 1: transition forward.

544
00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:01,640
Speaker 2: So those are the two things.

545
00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:05,040
Speaker 1: So my focus is a little bit more defensive because

546
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,040
Speaker 1: I think ultimately the better you defend, the more organized

547
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,400
Speaker 1: you are, the best chance you give your team to

548
00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:12,480
Speaker 1: win the game. So I think those are the two

549
00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,920
Speaker 1: things I would, you know, if I had to simplify

550
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,480
Speaker 1: how we defend in low block and how we defend

551
00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:20,880
Speaker 1: when we're high and we lose the bowl in transition

552
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,520
Speaker 1: moments coming back.

553
00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:25,880
Speaker 3: Let's say we go down one nil sixty minutes in,

554
00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:31,480
Speaker 3: playing pretty well, but no not the cutting edge we want.

555
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,000
Speaker 3: Who is your first sub? Who do you bring in?

556
00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:38,720
Speaker 1: So we're down one zero and this is in the

557
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:39,320
Speaker 1: second half.

558
00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:43,800
Speaker 3: At some point, yep, do we get to see Ricardo

559
00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:45,400
Speaker 3: PEPPI Do we bring Geo in?

560
00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,320
Speaker 2: Or well? I think there's a combination of things.

561
00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,640
Speaker 1: There's first of all, you don't bring Geo if you

562
00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,719
Speaker 1: don't think he can come into a game and win it, right,

563
00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:55,320
Speaker 1: because that's really what he has to offer here. What

564
00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:57,000
Speaker 1: he has to offer is that he's good in that

565
00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:01,200
Speaker 1: final third. So I think couple a couple of things

566
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,360
Speaker 1: to consider, and it depends on the game, right, because

567
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:07,800
Speaker 1: Pepe has been almost the ultimate.

568
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,240
Speaker 2: Poacher right over the last few years.

569
00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,560
Speaker 1: He comes in and he scores a goal off the bench,

570
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:12,960
Speaker 1: and it's it's good to see.

571
00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:14,760
Speaker 2: Not every player has the.

572
00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:17,560
Speaker 1: Proper mentality to come off the bench and score. I

573
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:20,360
Speaker 1: think I think pepy can do that right, and you can,

574
00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:25,360
Speaker 1: you could potentially go into two forward lineup, but I

575
00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:27,400
Speaker 1: think those those are the two players for me. You're

576
00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:29,280
Speaker 1: looking at Geo and you're looking at Peppi.

577
00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:34,480
Speaker 3: Do you think Peppi's in this in this World Cup

578
00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:37,560
Speaker 3: roster already or do you think he's in a fight

579
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:40,680
Speaker 3: for one of those spots at this camp.

580
00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:44,680
Speaker 2: I think he's already on the roster.

581
00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:49,920
Speaker 1: I don't see I don't see any scenario in which

582
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:54,280
Speaker 1: Poschettino doesn't bring four forwards to this, to the World Cup.

583
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,720
Speaker 1: And because of that, I think I think he'll be

584
00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:58,720
Speaker 1: one of those for sure.

585
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, I have him on the fringes. I actually think

586
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:08,320
Speaker 3: because Balligan is such a clear number one, and then

587
00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:13,640
Speaker 3: what Aziman offers that's different than anybody else in the

588
00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,320
Speaker 3: pool because with the way teams press now everybody in

589
00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,880
Speaker 3: the world presses man and that means there's been more

590
00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,800
Speaker 3: long balls, specifically out of the back, and it turns

591
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,680
Speaker 3: into a game of duels where you need to win

592
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,760
Speaker 3: first ball, second ball, and Azimon's ability to win that

593
00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:33,960
Speaker 3: first ball in the air is so superior to anybody

594
00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,480
Speaker 3: else in the so I think he's in and then

595
00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:40,240
Speaker 3: obviously Haji Wright is missing this camp. We talked about

596
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,680
Speaker 3: it in the first segment via injury, but his goal

597
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:47,040
Speaker 3: scoring form in a very physical league, and then his

598
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,360
Speaker 3: experience having scored a goal in the World Cup and

599
00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:53,880
Speaker 3: done it before. So I do think that PEPPI look

600
00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,440
Speaker 3: man like you said, he's the ultimate poacher. He's got

601
00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,520
Speaker 3: to show the ability to do more than poach. I

602
00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:03,640
Speaker 3: would really like to see him get at least a

603
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,480
Speaker 3: half hour against Belgium and then hopefully get the start

604
00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,720
Speaker 3: against Portugal to see what he can offer to this team.

605
00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:16,440
Speaker 3: That's more than just getting onto the end of pretty

606
00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:20,600
Speaker 3: passing sequences, which he does exceptionally well. But there has

607
00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,160
Speaker 3: to be more to his game than that in tournaments

608
00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:24,440
Speaker 3: like this.

609
00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you know, it's hard to disagree with

610
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:29,320
Speaker 1: what you're saying.

611
00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:31,280
Speaker 2: I'm looking at it a little bit different.

612
00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,720
Speaker 1: I'm looking at it as a coach likes to have

613
00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:39,000
Speaker 1: players for different roles. So if Balligan were to go

614
00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:41,720
Speaker 1: down as a starting number nine, I don't see us

615
00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:43,760
Speaker 1: an area on which Peppy would be the starter for

616
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:47,080
Speaker 1: us at the World Cup. But however, I do see

617
00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,080
Speaker 1: Peppy as a last ten minute or last fifteen minute

618
00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,200
Speaker 1: player coming in, and that's regardless of who's starting. So

619
00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,720
Speaker 1: let's say, you know, don't forget in twenty fourteen we

620
00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:01,000
Speaker 1: had Josie and Clint Dempsey up front. You know, like

621
00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:03,640
Speaker 1: two minutes into the World Cup, Josie goes down and

622
00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:05,520
Speaker 1: gets hurt. He's out for the rest of the tournament.

623
00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:08,760
Speaker 1: Now you have to be able to adjust to that.

624
00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,080
Speaker 1: And I think Pochetino is thinking that. And you're not

625
00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:14,800
Speaker 1: wrong with what you're saying, because I think you're saying

626
00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:15,480
Speaker 1: exactly that.

627
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:17,680
Speaker 2: So you're your next starter is not Peppy.

628
00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,480
Speaker 1: Your next starter would be It could be Agimund because

629
00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,080
Speaker 1: of the reasons you gave, or it could be potentially

630
00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:25,400
Speaker 1: Haji Wright because he can do all of those things

631
00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,720
Speaker 1: that you mentioned as well. However, Peppy remains the off

632
00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,720
Speaker 1: the bench ten to fifty minute guy, and because of that,

633
00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,440
Speaker 1: if I'm thinking as a coach, I would want to

634
00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,280
Speaker 1: have that in my sort of in my two box.

635
00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:41,240
Speaker 3: Two guys we haven't mentioned hardly at all talking through

636
00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:44,120
Speaker 3: this whole roster, we should touch on them a bit.

637
00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:48,880
Speaker 3: Brendan Aronson, like I said, he's been always energetic and

638
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,280
Speaker 3: usually pretty good this year for Leeds and hasn't been

639
00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:55,360
Speaker 3: super productive, but you know what he offers against the ball,

640
00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,480
Speaker 3: full effort all the time. And then Malik Tillman. He's

641
00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,920
Speaker 3: a kind of an up and down year for buyer Levercusan,

642
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:08,239
Speaker 3: but a guy the Pochactcino seems to trust. Where do

643
00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:12,840
Speaker 3: they play in this camp and how much time you

644
00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:14,560
Speaker 3: think they get in this camp?

645
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:18,720
Speaker 2: Well, I'd have to go into a specific scenario.

646
00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:21,160
Speaker 1: So let's start with Aaronson first of all, I mean,

647
00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,120
Speaker 1: very few players in this camp are as deserving as

648
00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,000
Speaker 1: Aaronson up getting a callback. I mean he's doing it

649
00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:28,919
Speaker 1: weekend and week out, and I know he doesn't play

650
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,600
Speaker 1: every minute for Leeds, but he's been an important part

651
00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,920
Speaker 1: of that team. I don't think I can think of

652
00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:38,200
Speaker 1: another player that works harder than he does to win

653
00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,920
Speaker 1: the ball back, to get behind the ball when he

654
00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:43,560
Speaker 1: needs to. And because of that, I'm thinking of a

655
00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:47,359
Speaker 1: specific scenario. So let's say we're playing Australia second game

656
00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:50,239
Speaker 1: of the World Cup. You obviously want to try to

657
00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,080
Speaker 1: win the ball deep in their end because you want

658
00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:55,480
Speaker 1: to pressure them as much as possible because you can

659
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:56,439
Speaker 1: win the ball back.

660
00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:58,560
Speaker 2: And I do think of a scenario in.

661
00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:03,240
Speaker 1: Which you would pull uhm McKenny back into that sect,

662
00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:07,640
Speaker 1: that double six role, and have Aaronson play next to

663
00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:09,920
Speaker 1: Polisic to just try to win the ball back as

664
00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,840
Speaker 1: much as possible, and then release McKenny.

665
00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:13,720
Speaker 2: From that sixth spot.

666
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,439
Speaker 1: Right that he would potentially be next to Adams, let's say, right,

667
00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:19,839
Speaker 1: and now you're playing with only one six, and now

668
00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,799
Speaker 1: you're adding numbers forward. So I do think that there's

669
00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,920
Speaker 1: a role for Aaronson, And that's sort of how I

670
00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:30,439
Speaker 1: see it. In terms of uh Elie Tilman. I think

671
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,000
Speaker 1: that's you know, that's a player that could start any time.

672
00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,960
Speaker 1: I mean, Pochettino could decide that, you know, let's not

673
00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:40,120
Speaker 1: forget that other than goalkeeper McKenny can play any role, right,

674
00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,960
Speaker 1: So we could you could put him next to Testament

675
00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,839
Speaker 1: if if Adams was hurt, or you could put him

676
00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:48,480
Speaker 1: next to Adams and take Testament off and and have

677
00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,239
Speaker 1: them play that double six and still have Tilman next

678
00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:53,920
Speaker 1: to Polisic, and and and and go.

679
00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:54,400
Speaker 2: Forward with that.

680
00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:56,520
Speaker 1: So I think I think there's a role for all

681
00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,560
Speaker 1: these players. I and I and I like that Pochettino

682
00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:00,759
Speaker 1: has a lot options.

683
00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, I like that too. Good problems for the coach

684
00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:07,280
Speaker 3: to have for us. It is time for one more break.

685
00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:08,960
Speaker 3: And on the other side of that, we'll hear from

686
00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,520
Speaker 3: Tab on the stress of trying to make the nineteen

687
00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:15,200
Speaker 3: ninety eight World Cup roster. Thank you for listening to

688
00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:28,759
Speaker 3: Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review and subscribe. Welcome back

689
00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:32,280
Speaker 3: to Inside American Soccer. We've been talking about the twenty

690
00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:35,719
Speaker 3: twenty six World Cup for most of this show, but

691
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,080
Speaker 3: let's get in the time machine, Tab and let's go

692
00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:42,799
Speaker 3: back inside the locker room to the nineteen ninety eight

693
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,320
Speaker 3: World Cup. You were part of that roster, your final

694
00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:50,640
Speaker 3: World Cup as a player, and unlike ninety and ninety four,

695
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,680
Speaker 3: it wasn't necessarily given that you were going to make

696
00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:58,200
Speaker 3: the final team because you're coming off a couple devastating injuries,

697
00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:01,560
Speaker 3: and it was it was touch and go at times.

698
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:05,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, no question, And we can call these moments the

699
00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:10,520
Speaker 1: black and white moments, maybe before color, the moments before

700
00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:16,080
Speaker 1: color with Matt Doyle and Tabramos, but anyway, Yeah, you're

701
00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:18,960
Speaker 1: absolutely right. So I was fortunate enough that, you know,

702
00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:21,239
Speaker 1: in the nineteen ninety World Cup, in nineteen ninety four

703
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:23,360
Speaker 1: World Cup, I knew that I was going to start

704
00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:27,440
Speaker 1: basically every game for the team. So the name naming

705
00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,719
Speaker 1: of the roster was not really ever a concern for me.

706
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:34,080
Speaker 1: Not that I played any less hard because I wanted

707
00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:37,080
Speaker 1: to be the best player every day, but they were

708
00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:40,200
Speaker 1: sort of given, and so I didn't live what many

709
00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:43,080
Speaker 1: players have to live through. Now going into nineteen ninety eight,

710
00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:47,440
Speaker 1: completely different story because now as an older player was

711
00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:50,279
Speaker 1: I was living a little bit off rent right, and

712
00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,080
Speaker 1: I had my skull fracture which took me out of

713
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,399
Speaker 1: the game for about five or six months. I had

714
00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,840
Speaker 1: two ACLS cheats took me out of the game between

715
00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:05,959
Speaker 1: anywhere between five and seven months. So I had spent

716
00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:08,759
Speaker 1: a lot And I'm sorry Metro Stars fans, this this

717
00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:12,320
Speaker 1: happened at this time, but it did happen at that time,

718
00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:16,799
Speaker 1: and and unfortunately I went into ninety nineteen ninety eight

719
00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,279
Speaker 1: without really playing for the national team, uh the six

720
00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:24,000
Speaker 1: months leading into it. So I had to worry about

721
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,600
Speaker 1: things that that I had that I wanted to mention

722
00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:29,560
Speaker 1: here because these are the things that old players worry about.

723
00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:33,040
Speaker 1: So number one, you always worry about your own fitness

724
00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:35,799
Speaker 1: and how well you're doing. Are you fit enough? The

725
00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,840
Speaker 1: next thing is are you are you game ready? Because

726
00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:40,839
Speaker 1: one thing is to be fit you can run all day.

727
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:42,879
Speaker 1: And the next thing is.

728
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:43,800
Speaker 2: Is your is your mind?

729
00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:46,839
Speaker 1: Is your brain thinking fast enough to be in the

730
00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:49,200
Speaker 1: middle of the field when two guys are coming and

731
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,319
Speaker 1: can you see that pass as you're getting pressured and

732
00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,759
Speaker 1: the bulls coming to you? And that's something that for

733
00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:57,920
Speaker 1: all the players who are out there at any level,

734
00:38:57,920 --> 00:38:59,720
Speaker 1: by the way, who are coming back from an injury

735
00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,480
Speaker 1: and get thrown into a game, that is the most

736
00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:06,320
Speaker 1: difficult thing. That is more difficult than your actual fitness.

737
00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:08,400
Speaker 1: So you have to think about that. And then I

738
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,640
Speaker 1: think there's another factor that's really important is you.

739
00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:12,600
Speaker 2: Start to see yourself.

740
00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:16,080
Speaker 1: You start to project the roster right, how many players

741
00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:19,000
Speaker 1: are gonna get picked, how many players are gonna get picked,

742
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,520
Speaker 1: and a position similar to mine if it's not exactly so, Like,

743
00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:25,839
Speaker 1: for example, if you're a right back, that's easy enough, right,

744
00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:28,440
Speaker 1: there's probably gonna be two right backs, it's you against someone.

745
00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:31,879
Speaker 1: But in my position as sort of an attacking midfielder,

746
00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:35,200
Speaker 1: which where I could fit into a central role, I'm

747
00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:37,160
Speaker 1: more of a wide right role, but I could fill

748
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:39,759
Speaker 1: into a central role. A coach could potentially play me

749
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,200
Speaker 1: on the left side, So you know, you start thinking

750
00:39:42,239 --> 00:39:44,840
Speaker 1: about all the items, and because of that, you have

751
00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:47,320
Speaker 1: to start looking at players, and so I started looking

752
00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:50,160
Speaker 1: like I had to look at guys like Wegerly or

753
00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:55,160
Speaker 1: Joe Max Moore or Ernie Stewart, even as with drawn striker,

754
00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:57,720
Speaker 1: I had to look into Claudio Arena as an attacking

755
00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:01,200
Speaker 1: midfielder had so I had to look at a bunch

756
00:40:01,239 --> 00:40:03,360
Speaker 1: of players and see how each one of them is

757
00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:07,640
Speaker 1: doing and what my legitimate chance of making the team.

758
00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:09,880
Speaker 2: Was going to be. So I think this is a

759
00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:11,359
Speaker 2: worry that all the players have.

760
00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,560
Speaker 1: Ultimately, the most important part is that players do well

761
00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,400
Speaker 1: in their own club as they're playing, because that's what

762
00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:22,400
Speaker 1: shows your consistency. But there's no question that all of

763
00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:24,960
Speaker 1: these most of the players that are getting called in

764
00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:27,880
Speaker 1: are taken into consideration all of these factors.

765
00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:32,799
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's no real perfect analogy for the situation you

766
00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:35,960
Speaker 3: are in a ninety eight. In this group in twenty

767
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,920
Speaker 3: twenty six, there's no sort of veteran centerpiece who's holding

768
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,920
Speaker 3: on for one last World Cup, who's coming off of injury.

769
00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:46,239
Speaker 3: But there are guys. I mean, Jedi Robinson would be

770
00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:48,440
Speaker 3: the best example, because he has missed most of the

771
00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:52,600
Speaker 3: last year via injury. He has not looked quite the

772
00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:55,359
Speaker 3: same since coming back for Fulham, though he has put

773
00:40:55,400 --> 00:41:00,000
Speaker 3: in a couple of good shifts lately. He was a centerpiece,

774
00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:03,400
Speaker 3: but he's in the prime of his career. But he

775
00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:07,759
Speaker 3: also saw Max Arsten over the past fifteen games say hey,

776
00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,880
Speaker 3: it's not just Jedi and then nobody at the left

777
00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:14,520
Speaker 3: back role. We actually have a depth chart. Now I

778
00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:17,640
Speaker 3: have to imagine that that is probably a good thing

779
00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:21,440
Speaker 3: for the entire group to say, all right, we have competition.

780
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,400
Speaker 3: This is what a healthy roster is supposed to look like.

781
00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:25,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, no question.

782
00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:27,240
Speaker 1: I mean, this is a good example you're making because

783
00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,000
Speaker 1: John Tolkien didn't do poorly when he came in.

784
00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:31,480
Speaker 2: He actually did well.

785
00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:34,239
Speaker 1: I mean, and I would not be if you were

786
00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:36,960
Speaker 1: to tell me Jedi Robinson get by the way, Jedi

787
00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:39,400
Speaker 1: Robinson was our best player for the last five years.

788
00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:42,480
Speaker 1: So no questions there that he should play all the time.

789
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:46,160
Speaker 1: But if he's injured and he's not able to play,

790
00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:49,719
Speaker 1: it's truly not scary to say Max Arsten could be

791
00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:52,000
Speaker 1: our starter and John Tolkien could be a backup.

792
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:54,080
Speaker 2: I mean, these are guys that have done.

793
00:41:53,920 --> 00:41:56,880
Speaker 1: Well when they've come in, and the few opportunities that

794
00:41:56,920 --> 00:42:00,000
Speaker 1: Tolkien has come in. If there's anything we know about Tolkien,

795
00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:03,080
Speaker 1: and in particular us from the Northeast who have watched

796
00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:04,839
Speaker 1: him play for the Red Bulls, I mean, this kid

797
00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:07,160
Speaker 1: is not afraid of anything, so he'll be ready to

798
00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:08,560
Speaker 1: go regardless of who we're playing.

799
00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:14,160
Speaker 3: What's the challenge for the coach to reintegrate guys who

800
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,719
Speaker 3: play such a big role and miss a lot of

801
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:23,000
Speaker 3: time with injury. Because I have to imagine if you know,

802
00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:26,120
Speaker 3: Anthony Robinson is back in camp and he just automatically

803
00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:28,600
Speaker 3: starts and plays ninety both games, and Max Arston was

804
00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:30,960
Speaker 3: a ninety minute player all last year and suddenly he's

805
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:34,480
Speaker 3: not seeing the field like there could be. These are

806
00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:39,480
Speaker 3: professional athletes, they're competitive dudes. Managing that cannot be an

807
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:41,280
Speaker 3: easy part of being a head coach.

808
00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:42,320
Speaker 2: It's not easy.

809
00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:44,279
Speaker 1: But you know, the funny part is that when you

810
00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:46,920
Speaker 1: go into locker room, all the players know who the

811
00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:50,000
Speaker 1: best players are. So that's regardless of what the coach

812
00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:52,640
Speaker 1: is thinking, regardless of what the fans are thinking or

813
00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:55,919
Speaker 1: what the press is saying. Everybody knows who the best

814
00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:57,120
Speaker 1: left back on the team is.

815
00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:58,200
Speaker 2: There's no question there.

816
00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:01,800
Speaker 1: Right, everybody knows who they feel more comfortable with playing

817
00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,800
Speaker 1: on the right side, and that's the coach may select

818
00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:06,600
Speaker 1: someone else, but the players know.

819
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:08,799
Speaker 2: And I think that's the important thing.

820
00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:12,720
Speaker 1: And this is why building a group that gets along

821
00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,920
Speaker 1: and building a group that just likes to play for

822
00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:18,000
Speaker 1: each other is really important, because at the end of

823
00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:20,719
Speaker 1: the day, the players know who the best players are

824
00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:21,720
Speaker 1: and who should be playing.

825
00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:25,399
Speaker 3: All right, So take us back then to nineteen ninety eight.

826
00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:28,279
Speaker 3: You were still one of the best players in the

827
00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:32,279
Speaker 3: US roster at that or in the US pool at

828
00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:36,040
Speaker 3: that point. And then the moment you did finally see

829
00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:41,800
Speaker 3: your name on the roster for your third World Cup, No, well.

830
00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:44,960
Speaker 2: It truly was a proud moment, and it took me.

831
00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:47,920
Speaker 1: It took me back to all the recovery that I

832
00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:49,799
Speaker 1: had to do because I spent most of the time

833
00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:51,960
Speaker 1: in a training room, you know, for a period of

834
00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:54,320
Speaker 1: about you know, two and a half years, three years,

835
00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:55,960
Speaker 1: and that was really hard.

836
00:43:56,719 --> 00:43:59,000
Speaker 2: I do think that I was not at my best

837
00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:00,400
Speaker 2: level at that World Cup.

838
00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:03,520
Speaker 1: I do think that, you know, and I wish that

839
00:44:03,600 --> 00:44:05,680
Speaker 1: I could have helped the team a lot more. But

840
00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:08,799
Speaker 1: I can tell you that in the training room and

841
00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:13,760
Speaker 1: in recovery rooms. I don't think anyone would work harder

842
00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:15,759
Speaker 1: than I did to get back. And you know, I

843
00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:18,360
Speaker 1: did make it to the World Cup. And you have

844
00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:22,160
Speaker 1: to remember I tore my ACL in November. So you know,

845
00:44:22,239 --> 00:44:25,600
Speaker 1: you you mentioned off offline a little bit. You mentioned

846
00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,520
Speaker 1: a little bit about how the game that that gave

847
00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:31,319
Speaker 1: Steve Sampson the idea of playing that three six one

848
00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:33,879
Speaker 1: in the World Cup was the Austra game leading into

849
00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:36,839
Speaker 1: the World Cup, which was our last friendly. I didn't

850
00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:39,320
Speaker 1: even play that one. I wasn't even on the roster yet.

851
00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:42,560
Speaker 1: So I got called to the World Cup without playing

852
00:44:42,560 --> 00:44:46,480
Speaker 1: any games leading into it, which which really, you know,

853
00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:49,239
Speaker 1: I thank Steve Samson for that, and and then I

854
00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:51,360
Speaker 1: think all of the people who helped me get back

855
00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:55,360
Speaker 1: to get into MLS, I think I played. I started

856
00:44:55,480 --> 00:45:00,160
Speaker 1: MLS games barely five months from from my surgery, So

857
00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:03,680
Speaker 1: which for an ACL, that's that's that's really fast.

858
00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:07,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, you and Reverso Basio had the record recovery time

859
00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:10,720
Speaker 3: from touring acls. I think he was around five months

860
00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:13,920
Speaker 3: for one of his as well. Maybe not recommended medically,

861
00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:16,160
Speaker 3: maybe it could have stretched out a little bit more

862
00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:18,440
Speaker 3: of it but probably worth it to get on that

863
00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:23,279
Speaker 3: last World Cup roster. It is last chance for the

864
00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:25,640
Speaker 3: World Cup roster for a lot of the guys that

865
00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:29,279
Speaker 3: we're going to see in these March friendlies coming up.

866
00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:34,680
Speaker 3: Thank you all for listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate,

867
00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:37,640
Speaker 3: review as subscribe well. Of course, be back next week

868
00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:40,600
Speaker 3: to talk more about what we should expect to see

869
00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:42,839
Speaker 3: from these two games, and who knows, there might even

870
00:45:42,920 --> 00:45:46,279
Speaker 3: be a late addition or two to this roster. So

871
00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:48,920
Speaker 3: please continue to leave your questions and comments on all

872
00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:52,920
Speaker 3: our platforms, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and we will

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00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:53,799
Speaker 3: see you next week