WEBVTT - USMNT UNRAVELS vs. Belgium, Pulisic DISAPPEARS, Haaland BOUNCES Brazil | Nick Wright World Cup 0:00:02.040 --> 0:00:05.840 Welcome in What's Driving Nick Rat Episode four seventy five, 0:00:05.960 --> 0:00:09.160 Wow Getting Closed Episode five hundred. This episode of What 0:00:09.320 --> 0:00:12.719 Right with Nick Wright is presented to you by boost Mobile. 0:00:13.440 --> 0:00:17.240 Good afternoon, Demanse. Busy week for you moving into a 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:21.880 new spot. Busy month for everybody that's been dialed into 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:27.240 the World Cup as just wall to wall NonStop action 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:31.240 up to an including games like this afternoon. Like we 0:00:31.360 --> 0:00:35.320 have had three games, Demanse in the last five days 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:40.080 that would have been the game of the tournament in 0:00:40.159 --> 0:00:43.640 half of the World Cups of my lifetime. Argentina Cape 0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:48.519 Verday Friday night was an all time classic. Mexico England 0:00:49.120 --> 0:00:54.840 Sunday Evening was as hyped as any round of sixteen 0:00:54.880 --> 0:00:58.600 game I've ever seen, exceeded the hype and then kept 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:04.440 exceeding it, and in a sneaky one just a couple 0:01:04.520 --> 0:01:12.119 hours ago, Argentina Egypt just an epic. Egypt up to nothing, 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:14.839 Argentina comes back to steal it. We'll get more into 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:20.000 that game later. However, one of the last lasting legacies 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.960 demand of this World Cup might be the entire world 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:26.880 coming around to my side. That instant where you play 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:32.240 makes sports worse. Egypt having a goal stolen for a 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:36.720 penalty that happened fifteen minutes prior in the lead up 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:42.800 to the to the goal. Was just unreal, and so 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:47.400 all of that. Uh yeah, Egypt did then didn't writing 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:50.520 another they scored right after the same guy. Yeah, you're 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:54.360 right about that, So all of that. But the big 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:57.800 story is, of course, one of the few games of 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:02.120 this tournament that has not been a classic, not been 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:06.440 that well played, not actually that interesting unless you were 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:09.040 rooting for one of the two teams involved. That was 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:11.160 Belgium in the US. We'll get to that in a second, 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:13.639 but first straight to voicemail, brought to you by our 0:02:13.720 --> 0:02:18.960 friends at boost Mobile. Donovan Mitchell signs a four year, 0:02:19.400 --> 0:02:24.200 smooth two hundred and seventy million dollar extension. As we 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:28.480 inch closer and closer to the first NBA player that 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:33.360 will in fact average one million dollars a game. For 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:35.560 someone to do that, we need someone to sign a 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:39.480 four year to what would the no, that's wrong on that. 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:43.040 He's almost seventy million a game, So we need someone 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:47.520 to sign a three year two forty six or a 0:02:47.919 --> 0:02:51.280 four year three twenty eight for someone to average a 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:53.919 million a game. We'll get there. Soon enough. Caleb Williams 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:57.240 signed a jersey for the pope evidently, and the Royals 0:02:57.280 --> 0:03:00.440 do something that's more rare than a perfect game, score 0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:03.400 a run in every inning, but nobody cares because the 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:06.119 Royals are that they actually aren't very good, but there's 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:09.960 still a cool little accomplishment. Also a couple reminders subscribe 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:13.320 to the pod. It helps us out tremendously, particularly if 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:18.760 you subscribe on YouTube, iTunes or Spotify. On iTunes or YouTube, 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:20.480 if you want to throw us a five star rating, 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:23.280 that would be great. And we are going to have 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:26.280 this week a mail bag episode coming out at the 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:28.560 end of the week for the first time in a while. 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:31.440 If you want to send a long form question, what's 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:35.880 right mailbag at gmail dot com is how you do that. 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:40.040 Also another reason to subscribe Thursday to Monday. I am 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:45.640 going I actually might miss the last like ten minutes 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:49.720 of the TV show because I there is a four 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:54.360 pm kickoff between France and Morocco in Boston that I 0:03:54.440 --> 0:03:58.480 need to get to. TV show ends that moon. It's 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:01.600 usually about a third three and a half hour drive, 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:05.440 so I want to give myself a little extra wiggle room. 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.880 And so if you want it quick one. 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:12.880 I'm not sure if a flight would actually be faster 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:19.520 like it's far as yeah, like the show, yeah and so, 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:22.880 and there's more likely for a catastrophic delay and a 0:04:22.920 --> 0:04:26.719 flight delayed then you're just out of there. And so 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:29.359 I mean I hired, I'm not driving. I hired a 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:34.679 car to basically for the day, but kick off at four. 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:40.720 So maybe I leave the studio in Manhattan around I 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:45.640 don't know, eleven forty and hopefully get there. The other 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.320 piece of that is there's a building collapsing in Manhattan 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:50.440 right now as we speak. They've had to evacuate a 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:53.240 few blocks of Midtown, So I don't know what that's 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:57.400 gonna do to traffic. I'm not sure. I know. I 0:04:57.440 --> 0:05:00.560 hope to get there on time. We will see. Because 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:04.360 of that, Thursday's Pod is now Wednesday's pod, so we're 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:07.520 doing a pod tomorrow again. If you subscribe to the pod, 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:08.760 you don't have to worry about any of that. All 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.720 right to mom's a, let's get right to it. The 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:14.760 letdown of the tournament Belgium in the US. 0:05:15.240 --> 0:05:18.320 So historic World Cup run by the USA ended like 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:20.359 so many of them have for US before, in a 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:21.640 loss in the round of sixteen. 0:05:22.680 --> 0:05:24.919 What do you think happened out there? We were getting bullied. 0:05:25.000 --> 0:05:26.560 That was a rough output. 0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:33.760 Yeah, listen, Brew and I we didn't really argue. We 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:37.880 don't really argue that much, but disagreed about what happened 0:05:37.920 --> 0:05:40.320 in this game. On the TV show this morning, Brew 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:44.640 was pretty adamant that Belgium was just that much better 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:49.120 than the United States and that's what happened. I disagree 0:05:49.160 --> 0:05:53.559 with that. I do think pretty clearly Belgium was better, 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:59.919 that's obvious, and that I had maybe overrated in my 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:02.720 I had the level at which the US men's national 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:06.200 team was playing, and I may be underrated Belgium, but 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:09.760 Belgium hadn't played very well in this tournament. Belgium had 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:12.760 to draw against Egypt. Belgium had to draw against Iran. 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:18.560 Belgium played awful for eighty plus minutes of a knockout 0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:22.800 round game against Senegal, and then got one late goal 0:06:22.920 --> 0:06:26.080 due to Lakaku being awesome, another late goal due to 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:29.719 a disastrous play by the Senegalese goalkeeper, and then they 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:34.760 stole it seconds before it went to penalties in extra time. 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:38.120 The one game all tournament Belgium had looked dominant was 0:06:38.160 --> 0:06:41.680 against New Zealand, and it was just an older Belgium 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:46.520 team eight years removed from its golden generation, being in 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:51.320 their primes, and it seemed there was a reason the 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:56.480 United States was slim but favorites in the game, and 0:06:56.600 --> 0:07:01.760 so I don't think it was as clear cut simply 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:05.600 as well that you know, we played finally played a 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:09.640 top ten team in the world, and we got what 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:17.320 was coming to us. Because that's not to me what 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:21.520 happened in yesterday's game. What happened in Monday night's game 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:26.520 was the moment was too big for our guys and 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:31.840 our back line, which has been this whole tournament the 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:35.000 shakiest part of the team. We went into the tournament 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:37.960 the first team in World Cup history to have our 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:44.720 starting goalkeeper be a goalkeeper from MLS. Our defenders are, 0:07:45.240 --> 0:07:48.280 you know, either older players or some of our less 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:52.880 frontline guys, you know, compared to some of our attackers 0:07:52.880 --> 0:08:01.280 in our midfield, and they got exposed and they seemed 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:05.760 shook from the opening kick a minute into the game. 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:09.480 Belgium could have scored eight minutes into the game. When 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:13.000 they did score, it was simply because it was the 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:16.680 soccer version of a group of infielders letting a foul 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:20.120 ball drop. Nobody wanted to head the ball out of play, 0:08:21.000 --> 0:08:28.480 and then what was so devastating was they had an 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:37.040 opportunity to steady themselves when one of the absolute revelations 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:42.720 of the tournament, Malik Tillman, hits another awesome free kick 0:08:44.120 --> 0:08:47.599 twice in two games, the very end of the Bosnia 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:50.640 game and midway through the first half of the Round 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:55.680 of sixteen game. We had a moment that reminds you 0:08:55.800 --> 0:08:58.840 of the best clubs are the best countries in the world. 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:03.000 Where you have a three kick specialist take a direct 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:06.240 kick at the top of the box and doesn't need 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:08.840 someone to put a head on the back end of it, 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:13.480 doesn't need some fancy action. Nope, right over the wall 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:15.960 into a spot the keeper can't get it. I know 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:18.320 this one took a deflection, but it was just so 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:23.560 awesome and in that moment, the US could have taken 0:09:23.600 --> 0:09:27.280 a deep breath said Okay, we're here, the crowds into it, 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:31.640 we see the level Belgium's gonna play at. We are 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:36.319 up to it, we're prepared for it, and now we 0:09:36.440 --> 0:09:38.840 just have to be the better side for sixty minutes 0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:43.520 of soccer. And instead, within one minute we allowed them 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:48.160 to take the lead again. We trailed in this game 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:55.480 for eighty of the ninety minutes. The only moments we 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:58.960 didn't trail were minutes zero to nine and I guess 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:03.880 thirty one to two. That's it. We trailed for multiple 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:09.840 goals for the final thirty minutes of the game thanks 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:15.000 to a yackety Sacks style cartoonish mistake by our goalkeeper. 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:20.600 And we never once seemed to threaten Belgium the way 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:25.480 we had been threatening teams all tournament. And listen, I 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:30.120 understand Belgium was a step up in class, a big 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:34.559 step up in class, but that is not the full 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:39.280 story of what happened yesterday. We got shook by what 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:41.640 was in front of us, and by what was in 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:45.560 front of us, I don't just mean the opposition, I 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:52.520 mean the opportunity. And that's the really really disappointing part. 0:10:53.320 --> 0:11:01.439 The really really disappointing part is for months leading up 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:10.360 to this I discussed how this tournament, the the pivot 0:11:10.440 --> 0:11:16.199 point of this tournament was going to be whether or 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:19.600 not we could break through the glass ceiling of the 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:23.559 Round of sixteen. And we're gonna get more deep into 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:26.240 that later in the show like about whether or not 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:30.680 this was a success or a failure, But it feels 0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:33.760 like everyone on the team also felt like that was 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:41.040 the pivot point, and they crumbled under that pressure, and 0:11:41.080 --> 0:11:49.520 it denied that unbelievable Seattle crowd an opportunity to really 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:54.480 get into the game, which is as disappointing a part 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:58.960 of it as anything else. The fact that that crowd 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:04.240 was dying to be a twelfth man like Stadio aas 0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:09.040 Teca was for the Mexican side, even in defeat on 0:12:09.160 --> 0:12:15.680 Sunday night, and the crowd got nervous a minute into 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:19.560 the game because Belgium almost scored. The crowd was then 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:22.800 extra nervous when the US was trailing for the first 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:25.640 thirty minutes of the game essentially, and then for one 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:28.400 minute after the Tillman goal, they were there, and then 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:33.400 Belgium went right back and took it. And Demonsey, You're 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:39.000 just not going to have another opportunity like this the 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:43.840 next time the Earth. Like this is gonna sound funny, 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:52.520 but it's true. The next time, the earliest possible chance 0:12:52.559 --> 0:12:56.000 the US is gonna have for another home World Cup, 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:06.360 you will be my age. Yeah, so and so like no, 0:13:06.760 --> 0:13:11.200 they definitely won't be there. I mean, the World Cup 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:16.880 in four years is in Spain, Portugal, Morocco. Now I 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:20.920 will say FIFA is doing something a little tricky because 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:25.200 they're supposed to kind of rotate continents, right, So next 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:28.160 year's World Cup, instead of just being in Spain or 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:31.480 being in Spain and Portugal, it's Spain, Portugal and Morocco 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:35.160 the way this one was the US, Canada and Mexico. Okay, 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:41.720 so that checks off Europe and Africa because Morocco's in Africa. 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:48.040 But then they are also doing one hundred anniversary one 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:52.920 off matches I believe in Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina one 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:57.079 match in each country. Well, that checks off South America 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:01.880 the next World So so just the next World Cup 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:08.320 gives you Europe, Africa, and South America as done. They 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:12.040 did it, yep. The next World Cup is already on 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:16.200 the books in Saudi Arabia, so that checks off Asia. 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:21.560 So in theory they could as early as twenty thirty 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:25.600 eight give another one to the United States. And the 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:29.240 United States has done a brilliant job hosting the Games, 0:14:29.280 --> 0:14:31.560 and we do have the best stadiums in the world, 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:35.640 so maybe we'll get it again sooner than we probably should, 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:40.800 but that's still twelve years out. And so all these 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:44.640 you know what I mean, almost all these guys, Yeah, 0:14:44.720 --> 0:14:47.560 we'll be gone. All right, let's do some follow ups 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:49.000 here before we get to the other stuff. 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:51.240 So after the Games, Latin said that that was a 0:14:51.280 --> 0:14:54.200 reality check for the for Team USA. So what do 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:55.560 you think that our reality is? 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:07.520 Our reality right now is that the quarterfinals is our 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:12.080 absolute ceiling and the round of sixteen is playing to 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:16.960 our seed. Our reality check right now is there is 0:15:18.560 --> 0:15:24.400 you We are nowhere close to being a firmly entrenched 0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:32.840 top ten nations right like we are the We are 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:39.040 closer to the teams that are ranked in the twenties 0:15:40.360 --> 0:15:50.160 like Iran, Norway, Senegal, Uruguay, Austria, Egypt, then the teams 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:54.880 that are ranked in the low teens, like well in Mexico, 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.320 I think we're right in line with. But in Mexico 0:15:57.400 --> 0:15:59.720 right now is technically ten, but they've moved up quite 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:05.360 a bit during this tournament. Colombia, Germany, Croatia, Italy which 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:07.760 plays great except for when it comes to making the 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:13.920 World Cup. And we do feel like we are leaps 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:18.360 and bounds away from teams firmly in the top ten 0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:23.120 like Spain and England. And even though they didn't have 0:16:23.160 --> 0:16:25.040 a good showing of this World Cup, and they haven't 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:27.200 had a great showing in the World Cup in years, Brazil, 0:16:27.640 --> 0:16:31.920 Brazil's been disappointed by Brazil standards prior to this year. 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:34.880 They make the quarters every single year of the World Cup. 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:37.920 That's been you know, our dream is to make the 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:44.440 quarters repeatedly. So I do think that is uh, that 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:50.360 is the reality of it. But that doesn't mean we 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:56.400 couldn't have won Monday Night. Belgium again has not been 0:16:56.880 --> 0:17:01.880 They have been far from unbeatable in the tournament. They 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:05.240 are past what was you know, they're an aging team 0:17:05.320 --> 0:17:11.719 that has passed their version of the Golden Generation. And 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.359 so I think it's laton, you know, Bruce said on 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:19.480 the TV show we all got drunk on sports patriotism, 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:25.800 yes and no. Like I understand that the Vegas odds 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:30.359 are tilted, you know, colored a bit by the fact 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:33.520 that so many Americans wanted to bet on the US, 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:38.840 but the international sportsbooks also had this game as a 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:42.600 coin flip slightly leaning to the United States. It was 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:47.080 not blind. It might have been drunken you know, patriotic 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:50.240 optimism that was fueling the thirty to one US to 0:17:50.280 --> 0:17:51.080 win the tournament. 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:51.480 Bets. 0:17:51.920 --> 0:17:56.240 It was not drunken US optimism that installed the US 0:17:56.280 --> 0:18:02.240 as slight, but favorites yesterday. And here's the other piece 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:06.679 of it, like there have not been many once we 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:12.120 have gotten to the knockout rounds, there just haven't been 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:17.520 many walkovers. Like I'm just gonna go backwards through the games. 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:23.440 Today's Egypt Argentina game a freaking classic that our Egypt 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:29.359 was as Argentina in the rankings is two, Egypt in 0:18:29.400 --> 0:18:34.400 the rankings is twenty four, so you know we are 0:18:34.880 --> 0:18:39.399 sixteen Norway or Belgium, pardon me, is eight, so we 0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:43.800 are far closer to Belgium than Egypt is to Argentina. 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:46.280 Egypt was up to nothing in that game at the 0:18:46.560 --> 0:18:49.080 seventy eight minute mark and that game ended up being 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:54.480 a classic. Sunday Night Brazil Norway. It's zero Sunday afternoon. 0:18:54.960 --> 0:18:59.560 Norway is again about as far in the rankings from 0:18:59.600 --> 0:19:05.480 Brazil as the US is from Belgium. Norway one. Mexico 0:19:05.640 --> 0:19:10.640 England was a classic that England won three to two. 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:17.199 France played Paraguay. That game was won nothing on a 0:19:17.240 --> 0:19:20.520 France penalty kick. Now again, Paraguay played a particular style 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:26.240 to make that happen, but it was close. Morocco played Canada. Yes, 0:19:26.359 --> 0:19:29.639 that ended three to nothing, but that game was zero 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:36.879 zero at halftime and one nothing in the seventy eighth minute. Again, 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:43.320 Argentina Cape Verde three to two in extra time. Colombia 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:48.159 Gana was a one nothing game. Australia Egypt went to 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:55.760 penalty kicks. The last actual walkover and maybe the only 0:19:55.920 --> 0:20:01.040 walkover of the knockout round was Spain and night elating Austria. 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:05.640 And again, Spain went into this tournament the number one 0:20:05.800 --> 0:20:09.800 team in the world and Austria is outside of the 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:17.520 top twenty. There just haven't been these dominating, embarrassing blowouts 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:23.679 in the knockout round. And England against Dr Congo was 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:27.000 a game England had to pull out of the fire. 0:20:27.119 --> 0:20:29.560 Belgium against Senegal was a game Belgium had to pull 0:20:29.560 --> 0:20:35.320 out of the fire. Shoot Bosnia Ertzkovina was us. What 0:20:35.359 --> 0:20:38.640 we did to them was one of the bigger blowouts. Yes, 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:43.639 France killed Sweden, Spain killed Austria, but those are the 0:20:43.680 --> 0:20:47.720 two best teams in the tournament. Probably just so disappointing. 0:20:49.920 --> 0:20:52.960 All right, let's go to the poch, this one about 0:20:53.000 --> 0:20:53.320 the coach. 0:20:54.359 --> 0:20:56.800 Yeah, so Pochatino has been a little bit of a 0:20:56.840 --> 0:20:58.280 rejuvenation for the squad. 0:20:58.520 --> 0:21:01.320 He's also up for a new contract. Do you believe 0:21:01.359 --> 0:21:02.560 that he's the guy for the job? 0:21:04.760 --> 0:21:09.600 Listen, we had Darren Fletcher, uh, who's right now actually 0:21:09.680 --> 0:21:14.880 calling the game that's on right now is Switzerland, Columbia 0:21:14.920 --> 0:21:19.160 and Vancouver. We had him on and he was adamant 0:21:19.480 --> 0:21:22.280 that the US should do everything they can to keep Poachatino. 0:21:22.359 --> 0:21:27.080 And I agree. I understand that ultimately this tournament was 0:21:27.119 --> 0:21:30.720 not a rousing success, and we'll get more into that layer. 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:34.800 But I really like the guy. I think he has 0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:37.879 the right mentality and I think it You want to 0:21:37.960 --> 0:21:41.600 see what a full cycle because they hired him late, 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:43.840 what him being able to put his hands on this 0:21:43.920 --> 0:21:47.560 team for a full cycle would really mean. I think 0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:51.399 they're paying him six million bucks a year. And like 0:21:52.840 --> 0:22:01.399 the soccer jobs, demons are crazy and the coaching no, 0:22:01.520 --> 0:22:09.880 that's what I mean, the the turnover in them as 0:22:09.920 --> 0:22:12.320 far as if you coach a Premier league team like 0:22:12.400 --> 0:22:14.359 you can coach for two years and be five like 0:22:14.400 --> 0:22:17.880 they just there is not a lot of job security, 0:22:17.960 --> 0:22:21.080 is what I'm trying to say. Yeah, So for him 0:22:21.200 --> 0:22:26.280 the ability to play or to coach and know he's 0:22:26.320 --> 0:22:29.919 gonna have this job through the next World Cup, I 0:22:29.960 --> 0:22:33.480 think I would think would be really attractive to him. 0:22:33.840 --> 0:22:36.280 So I really hope that we're able to hold on 0:22:36.320 --> 0:22:39.480 to him. All right. Before we get to flow ball again, 0:22:41.000 --> 0:22:42.879 let me remind you guys. Today's show is brought to 0:22:42.920 --> 0:22:47.520 you by our presenting sponsor, hard Rock Bet, Florida's sportsbook. 0:22:47.560 --> 0:22:51.560 The world's biggest soccer tournament is here. Everyone's watching, National 0:22:51.600 --> 0:22:54.919 pride is on the line, superstars are chasing immortality, and 0:22:55.040 --> 0:22:58.840 for the next month, every match feels like a final. 0:22:58.840 --> 0:23:01.240 If you haven't tried hard Rock Bet yet, there's no 0:23:01.359 --> 0:23:03.440 better time to get in the game. 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Must be twenty 0:24:19.359 --> 0:24:23.399 one plus and physically president in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, 0:24:23.400 --> 0:24:26.760 New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, or Virginia. Play terms and conditions apply. 0:24:26.960 --> 0:24:29.600 Concerned about gambling in Florida, call one eight three to 0:24:29.640 --> 0:24:30.760 three play wise. 0:24:30.960 --> 0:24:33.040 In Indiana. If you are somebody you know as a 0:24:33.040 --> 0:24:36.240 gambling problem wants help, call what eight hundred and nine 0:24:36.640 --> 0:24:39.359 with it. In Arizona, Ohio, Virginia, call one eight hundred. 0:24:39.440 --> 0:24:42.400 My reset gambling problem called one eight hundred gambler. 0:24:42.560 --> 0:24:44.520 All right, Demante, let's talk flow Balligan. 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:49.400 So do you think all the controversies controversies surrounding Balagin 0:24:49.400 --> 0:24:51.159 in the Red Car was worth it? And do you 0:24:51.240 --> 0:24:53.560 think that this was more of a hindrance for the 0:24:53.640 --> 0:24:59.000 USA or motivation for Belgium? 0:24:59.119 --> 0:25:03.000 Yeah? I think I don't think it will. I certainly 0:25:03.040 --> 0:25:06.400 it ended up being motivation for Belgium. There's no denying that, Okay, 0:25:07.280 --> 0:25:13.920 But the idea I don't. I simply do not buy 0:25:14.359 --> 0:25:20.160 that if only the US didn't have its most effective 0:25:20.480 --> 0:25:24.439 offensive player out there, yesterday would have been better. Like 0:25:24.480 --> 0:25:30.760 everyone's I and this idea that well, we had all 0:25:30.800 --> 0:25:35.639 these vibes working for us, and then it all shifted. 0:25:36.520 --> 0:25:41.840 I anyone that listens to this show or watches me 0:25:42.800 --> 0:25:47.040 has a very good idea or an exact idea of 0:25:47.080 --> 0:25:52.040 what I think about our current president. Okay, not a fan, 0:25:52.440 --> 0:25:58.800 I think it's fair to say, and it is an 0:25:58.920 --> 0:26:04.720 easy like, well, you know, the Knicks couldn't lose, showed 0:26:04.800 --> 0:26:08.600 up to a game, they lost. The US men's national 0:26:08.640 --> 0:26:11.879 teams on this great run. He steps in, then they lose. 0:26:12.880 --> 0:26:18.080 Here's the thing about that line of reasoning about that 0:26:18.119 --> 0:26:23.560 the president stepping in threw off the vibes. It ignores 0:26:23.640 --> 0:26:28.240 the fact that a lot of guys on our men's 0:26:28.280 --> 0:26:32.199 national soccer team love the guy that a lot of 0:26:32.200 --> 0:26:35.119 the fans who are part I would imagine part of 0:26:35.160 --> 0:26:41.120 the vibes, love the guy like this, it is a 0:26:41.240 --> 0:26:46.760 very kind of siloed mindset of well, I, you know, 0:26:46.920 --> 0:26:52.919 theoretical soccer fan don't like the president. Therefore I didn't 0:26:53.080 --> 0:26:55.760 like the fact that he got involved with the team, 0:26:56.240 --> 0:27:00.399 and that hurt the vibes. While not acknowledging that for 0:27:01.240 --> 0:27:04.600 folks out there that love him and maybe they before 0:27:04.720 --> 0:27:07.280 didn't care as much about the team, they're like, oh 0:27:07.480 --> 0:27:11.200 now now Trump's invested in it, I'm invested in it too. 0:27:11.560 --> 0:27:15.360 So I'm gonna say those vibes canceled each other out. Okay, 0:27:15.800 --> 0:27:21.840 So the only question is this was Belgium. Whatever added 0:27:22.000 --> 0:27:26.960 motivation they got from feeling like we're getting screwed here, 0:27:27.960 --> 0:27:32.200 was that offset by the fact by the added benefit 0:27:32.280 --> 0:27:35.200 the US got from having one of, if not its 0:27:35.359 --> 0:27:38.600 very best player on the pitch. And I'm gonna say 0:27:38.880 --> 0:27:41.760 we came out ahead in that one if we were 0:27:41.840 --> 0:27:47.600 if anybody related to US soccer thought we'd like to 0:27:47.600 --> 0:27:52.639 have our best player. But what about those vibes, what 0:27:52.800 --> 0:27:57.080 about the bulletin board material. They could have simply released 0:27:57.080 --> 0:28:00.520 a statement out of respect. They could have on the 0:28:00.560 --> 0:28:06.960 demons the kid in the old fair Play commercial. Sorry, 0:28:06.520 --> 0:28:11.119 they could have just announced Flow is not playing. Don't 0:28:11.160 --> 0:28:14.720 you worry your pretty little hearts, Flow is not gonna 0:28:14.720 --> 0:28:19.000 play now. Also demant, I will say, go ahead you. 0:28:19.640 --> 0:28:22.560 These guys are soccer players, Like they also realized that 0:28:22.640 --> 0:28:24.800 Baligan got screwed over, right, Like, I feel like it 0:28:24.800 --> 0:28:27.320 shouldn't motivate them, and the fact that that was the 0:28:27.359 --> 0:28:29.520 wrong call. He shouldn't be suspended. 0:28:30.720 --> 0:28:31.880 But but yeah, that's just. 0:28:31.960 --> 0:28:34.200