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That Saturday Feeling - Episiode 15 - International Special!
3 Plays1 month ago
Join your host Nick Britten for your weekly sideways take on all things Soccer - Part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. This week we look at England's first game under Thomas Tuchel, a round up of the World Cup qualifiers and what's going on with the USA National team?
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Transcript
Episode Introduction
00:00:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
sky Well, hello and a very good day to you wherever you are in the world. This is That's Saturday Feeling, episode 15, broadcast from the UK.
Focus on International Football
00:00:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And actually, i am getting a bit of a Saturday feeling this morning because normally we record this on a Friday, but today it's Saturday because we're doing a little bit of an international special. As you all know, as a regular listener, normally TSF is born basically Basically, it's Premier League stuff. We base it around the Premier League. There's no Premier League this thiser week because it is international break.
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we are here bringing you an international special.
Nick Hosts Solo
00:00:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
but My name's Nick Britton. I'm your host for the day. now normally, there are two of us. Normally, it's me and Ken.
00:00:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ken is sunning himself somewhere in the world. So it's just me today, which is probably a good thing so it means it's not going to go on for several hours. We are having a look at the international scene. We wanted to wait until this morning to broadcast to you because...
Tuchel Takes Over as England Manager
00:01:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here in the UK it was Thomas Tuchel's first game as the England manager last night. ah He took over from Gareth Southgate and we were just quite keen to see what it was like. So we're going to have a little look at England's game against Albania.
00:01:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
There will be, as always, no, that Saturday feeling podcast would be complete without a bit of rant. And there'll be a roundup of all the important games going on around the world.
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let's start then with England. Thomas Tuchel has been making a lot of noise over the last few days around. We're going to be doing things differently to Gareth Southgate. Gareth Southgate was... let's face it, a real slow burn manager. He was all about long-term cultural change, a lot of stuff behind the issues. He got caught up in talking a lot about social issues.
00:02:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And ultimately, he put out a team which did better than his predecessors, but had failed to do really what it was there to do, which was to win tournaments. We had...
00:02:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
UEFA European Cup finals. We had World Cup semi-finals. But what we didn't have at the end of the day was a trophy for it. Thomas Tuchel's coming. A bit more of a kind of whirlwind attitude to this. He's not interested in that the slow burn stuff. He's here to win a trophy. He's got an 18-month contract.
00:02:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
It'll take him to the end of the World Cup next year. And that's what he's here to do. So he feels like a man in a bit of a hurry. And everything that he said in his press conferences so far, suggested exactly that.
00:02:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
He is a man in a bit of a hurry.
Review of England's Win Over Albania
00:02:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
he He kind criticised England's attitude in the latter stages of tournament, saying that we were a bit scared to lose rather than really going out there to win. And he could sense the nervousness and the tension around the England team when watching us in the semi-finals. So,
00:03:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
What are we going to expect from him? Well, fast attacking football was the message that we were going see. Goals, goals, goals. Yeah, well, how did all pan out? Well, last night, England kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign for USA, Mexico and Canada 2026 with a home game against Albania. Now, Albania were not expected to cause England that many problems.
00:03:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's exactly what happened. In fact, Let's not yeah let's not boo beat around the bush here. England's 2-0 victory was pretty much the same as any other England 2-0 victory over Albania.
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Could have been Tuchel in charge, could have been Southgate, could have been any number of England managers. It was a really, really predictable game. That's not to say... there were not answer some great things about it. There's not to say there's some real positives out of it. But ultimately, it was a England turn up, play well for a bit, score a goal.
00:04:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Opponents just, ah well, what they call now, a low block, employing a low block in ah in old football parlance, that's parking the bus. And that's what exactly what Albania did.
00:04:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And England huffed and puffed, and the second half was a bit of a non-event. um And it was just a really, a really typical kind of low-key World Cup qualifier that England were always going to win, did win.
00:04:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
There was no problem, but it wasn't very exciting. Nonetheless, nonetheless, there were some good things about it. So let's have a look at the good things. Let's have a look at things that perhaps weren't so good and maybe you need a little bit of thinking about. And actually, Thomas Tuchel said all this in his presser afterwards. He think he identified very sharply one of the key areas that England really needed improvement on on the day.
00:05:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But good stuff was this.
Myles Lewis-Skelly's Debut Goal
00:05:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Miles Lewis Skelly. Oh, yes. 18 years old. 18 years old. He's the youngest player to score on his senior England debut when he rattled the ball home from an absolutely glorious pass from Jude Bellingham. This is one of the passes of the season. It's one of those great balls that cuts out about four defenders in one go.
00:05:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Skelly nipped in on the blind side of his fullback and poked the ball past the goalkeeper. um So congratulations to him. He's been having a terrific season at Arsenal. well-deserving of his England call-up, and and it's great.
00:05:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's great to see him play so well. He looked really composed, really mature, and he nabbed his goal, beating the record set previously by Marcus Rashford, who incidentally was back in the England fold and indeed back in the England line-up yeah yesterday, which is a bit of a surprise to some.
00:05:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll come on to Rashford in just a little moment. But so well done, well done, Skelly. Well done, Marle Skelly, because We need new blood in this team, let's face it. We need some younger players coming in.
00:06:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it was great to see his energy. Great to see somebody filling that left-back position, which has been a problem for England in recent times. Let's not so let's not forget that. um um we We were relying on Kieran Trippier last summer to come over to the left and play left-back, which is not his normal position. So it's good to have somebody there in that position.
00:06:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's hope this means that he continues to thrive, continues to develop, and perhaps nails down that shirt for how many years to come? Who knows? So real positive there in Myles Lewis-Skelly's debut and particularly his debut goal.
00:06:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
um It's worth mentioning also the midfield because under the midfield, under Gareth Southgate, it wasn't great. It tended to be very defence-minded, tended to be a bit slow, tended to not really want cross the halfway line that much. And really what you, yeah one of the criticisms of Southgate was that he would play a couple of defensive midfielders and you don't need to play two defensive midfielders in a home game against
Progressive Midfield Strategy
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Albania.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Honestly, you don't believe you me. So it was good to see Declan Rice just kind of hold that position last night and free up Jude Bellingham, free up Curtis Jones, both Bellingham and Jones. I thought I had really good games. It's good to see Jones in an England shirt. He's good player.
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's got plenty to offer. And Bellingham after a good degree of criticism last summer in the Euros, um, I thought looked a little bit back to his best last night. I thought he played really, really well. In the first half, we're talking about here, because let's face it, in the second half, nothing much happened.
00:07:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
But in the first half, particularly, I thought Bellingham and Jones meant that England's midfield was far more progressive. I think that was one of the differences that we saw in the approach for the two managers. So that was definitely a
Dan Burn's Impressive Week
00:07:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
positive. and We can't, we can't go throughout this podcast without mentioning Big Dan Byrne.
00:07:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Now, for those of you around the world who thinking, well, who on earth is Big Dan Byrne? This is one of those great fairy tale stories. So Dan Byrne is a defender. He can play at left back. He can play it centre back.
00:08:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Plays for ah Newcastle United, his home team. Joined there from ah from Brighton a few years ago. And um it's been an an unbelievable week for Dan Byrne. It has been an unbelievable week because last Sunday he scored first goal in Newcastle's 2-0 win against Liverpool in the Carabao League Cup final to end Newcastle United's long, long, long, decades-long win for a major trophy.
00:08:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then, to the surprise of Pretty much everybody, including the entire Byrne household, he gets a call-up for England literally the next day. is He's never been called up for England before, but he gets a call-up to the England senior squad at the age of 32, and going, wow, amazing. But let's face it, he ain't going play, is he? he's He's been one of those one of those a kind of Connor Cody figure, if you like, who gets collect he gets selected for the squad. He's there for his leadership. He's there to give the younger players a bit of a hand up, but he ain't going to play.
00:09:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Then yesterday, starting line-up comes out, and in it is Dan Byrne playing at centre-half. He goes, whoa, okay, fair enough. And he had a great game in terms of his – well, he had a great first half. Nobody had a good first – there's a theme, isn't there?
00:09:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's a theme here. Nobody really had a great second half, apart from perhaps Harry Kane, but we're going to come to that in a minute. But Dan Byrne played really well. He nearly scored. He hit the bar with a header.
00:09:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was at the centre of England's set pieces. i think Tuchel had clearly watched Eddie Howe's set pieces, which bore so much fruit against Liverpool, which we saw sort of burn, peel off to the back post.
00:09:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
and be targeted at that back post area to either put the ball back across or or or try for goal. ah It worked. It worked against ah Liverpool it worked against Albania. So ah an absolute dream week for Dan Byrne.
00:10:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
This time last week, this time last week, Saturday morning, he's thinking, hmm, OK, Liverpool red-hot favourites to win the League Cup. Newcastle, they'd appeared in the League Cup final two years previously against Manchester United and quite frankly just didn't turn up.
00:10:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
But this time was going to be different. They assured us, and indeed they did turn up. And Dan Byrne scored the goal, won the Cup. He's a real local hero, Newcastle. Gets an England call-up, gets an England start, nearly scores, keeps clean sheet.
00:10:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
What a week ah for Dan Byrne. Big Dan Byrne. What a guy. He's one of those players who I think... Everybody loves, and you can't help but love him because he's such a nice s bloke. He is such a nice s bloke.
00:10:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So lots of positives
Key Goals in the Match
00:10:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
there for England. um I'm going to come on to the last positive, which was the goals. So we've talked about Lewis Skelly's goal, which was a cracking pass from Bellingham. It really is. It's really worth seeking out.
00:11:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
The second goal, for different reasons, is just as good because it is a masterclass goal. of finishing by Harry Kane. The game was just drifting. yeah It wasn't long to go, 15 minutes or so.
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
wasn't long to Nothing much was happening. um A crossover, and Kane just receives the ball in quite an uncomfortable position, but kills it.
00:11:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
He absolutely kills the ball. But then he doesn't just smack it as fast and quickly as he can into the goal. He waits for the defender to approach him and then as the defender approaches him he uses it as one of those blindsiding goalkeeper moves to bend the ball around the defender goalkeepers unsighted he wouldn't have got to anyway let's face it into the far corner into the side netting of of the goal it was a brilliant finish from Kane to control the ball in the position he was in when he was sort of leg outstretched was one thing.
00:11:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
To kill it, as he did, was another. And then just to have that presence of mind and that coolness, just to wait a second, draw the defender in, bend the ball round him into the far corner.
00:12:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
What a goal. What a finish. Great stuff. Well done. Well done. So there are all the positives from the game.
Areas for Improvement
00:12:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But let's face it, with some of the old gremlins that have haunted England for many, many years were still there. And to be honest with you, you've got to ask, is there anything more they could have done?
00:12:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because the second half was a bit of a bore. not We're not going to lie. Albania just sat there. They didn't really want to do anything. It felt a little bit like damage limitation. They did creep out of their half once or twice, and they caused a touch of confusion. But let's face it there were never serious competitors in this game in terms of getting a result out of it.
00:12:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But the second half was just descended into to that kind of very familiar pattern that we've seen with England loads of times, which is just pass the ball around, sideways to sideways, nothing much going on, ball into the area, head it out, pass ball around a little bit more, nothing much going on, ball into the area, head it out, and rinse and repeat, really.
00:13:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there's some work there to do for Tuchel. I'm very glad... that he said in his immediate press conference after that he was disappointed in the um the effect that the team had in the
Critique of Wing Play
00:13:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
wide areas.
00:13:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we had Foden on the right, we Rashford on the left, and neither of them, Rashford I thought played quite well. Foden was, I felt, disappointing. Didn't really ever get at his full-back particularly, sort of drifted inside quite a lot. looked Looked like a player lacking in confidence, if I'm honest. us We know how good a player Phil Foden is, but...
00:13:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
um didn't really perform last night. And what was really interesting, what was really interesting is both were switched out and for Jarrod Bowen on the right and Anthony Gordon on the left in the second half. And Thomas Tuchel said he would have much he would have preferred to see those players, i.e. Foden and Rashford, just not cutting inside, not passing ball, but taking a man on.
00:14:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
taking a fullback dribbling around the outside, and then getting into a position to either cross or shoot or pass from there. So less not enough dribbling was Tuchel's mantra after the game from those wide areas.
00:14:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that poses a problem because you know what? If you want somebody to get the ball down his feet and dribble it, then jarrah bowen should be starting those games every single time because on the right hand side he's great he's a brilliant player bowen he's one of the premier league's best players underrated in my opinion ah but he's your man he's your man because he'll terrified defenders because he's really really positive he'll get the ball down and his first thought is bang he'll run at them run at run them so let's it'll be really interesting to see um whether bowen gets a start on monday night in england's second world cup qualifier
00:14:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
against Latvia, and equally the same on the other side, go Anthony Gordon. he he He's prepared. Rashford, I thought, did do a little bit more of that than Foden did. But perhaps Gordon will be getting getting a longer chance to do it on on Monday.
00:15:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we'll see how that goes. So in it all, then, to wrap this up, Thomas Tuchel, a good start. You've got to win your first game as England manager. It's really, really important. um A good start.
00:15:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is there room for improvement? Yes, definitely. Were there positives? Yes, definitely. Is this game going to be forgotten by about 3 o'clock this afternoon? ah Yeah, probably it is. But nonetheless, well done.
00:15:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well done, England, and we'll see where we go from there. and
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
so
00:16:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Your body is indeed unique. Right, okay, welcome back. You're listening to That Saturday Feeling. ah We're going to have a quick whiz through now on... It's an international special, this this episode, so we're going to have a quick whiz through the rest of some of the important games that are going on in the world on the international stage. i Obviously, World Cup qualifiers all over the place.
00:16:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um It's worth mentioning, by the way, and this is a shameless plug, so bear with me. It's worth mentioning that... um Here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we have launched the work Road to the World Cup 26 podcast. It's a weekly podcast.
00:16:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ken Davis, my colleague, and I, Ken, as you know, normally james joins me on this one, but he's away at lying i'd be lying on a beach by now somewhere, I'd imagine, whilst I do all the heavy lifting and the hard work from GSPN Towers.
00:17:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we do a World Cup podcast. um We're on episode three. It was published yesterday. We are at the moment doing a deep dive every week into the various football federations around the world.
00:17:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we've already had a look at CONCACAF. ah Yesterday's episode was around the African Federation, CAF, and some really good stories coming out of that.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
So have a listen to the road to the World Cup 26, because it's lots of it's not just about the football. You're also looking at around the human stories around all of this and the political stories and the country stories around the nations taking part. So it's a,
00:17:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a football lesson. It's a history lesson. It's a curious stories ah lesson as well. So do get involved with that. And by the time the World Cup comes around next year, you'll be an absolute genius. You'll be able to impress your mates with every World Cup fact and knowledge there is known
Promotion of 'Road to the World Cup 26' Podcast
00:18:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
to man. So you can get that on Spotify. You can get that on Apple.
00:18:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah You can get that wherever you get your podcasts. Right. Let's have a quick whiz round. the the world, if you like. So there were there were World Cup qualifiers in Africa yesterday. There was an important win for Nigeria, who beat Rylander 2-0. Now, I say it's an important win because Nigeria, out of all the big heavyweight African nations, about Nigeria were potentially struggling to qualify.
00:18:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
They hadn't won a game get in the qualifying. They were down the sort of second bottom of their qualifying group and it wasn't looking good. And they travelled to Rwanda last night in and Rwanda had their own promotion ambitions here and and qualification ambitions. So ah it was an important win for Nigeria. They won 2-0 and that gets their qualification programme up and running. So, you know, well done to them. I think if they'd lost that game,
00:19:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
they really would have been in trouble. But they're still alive and kicking. Mo Salah was on target, as you might expect, for Egypt as they won 2-0 at Ethiopia. He remains the competition's top scorer so far.
00:19:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wins for a couple of the big heavyweights in Africa. So Morocco and Ivory Coast, good wins for them. And notable, a notable victory here, people. ah e Equatorial Guinea.
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
beat Sao Tomei-Principe. I think that's how you pronounce it. That's my best French. ah to know 2-0. Why are you asking me? Is that an important result? Well, because the goal scorer for Equatorial Guinea was Emilio Nsui.
00:19:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
He got the first goal in that 2-0 win. Again, you're asking, well, who cares? Why does it matter? Have a listen. to episode three of the Road to the World Cup podcast and the curious tale of Equatorial Guinea and Emilio Nsui in particular.
00:20:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then you'll know why I'm flagging this up, because it's a great story. It is a great story and and certainly worth a listen to. So well done, Equatorial Guinea and Emilio Nsui scoring there.
00:20:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. elsewhere Conmebol there were wins for Brazil Argentina Ecuador and Peru and ah fairly standard you may think fairly standard you may think um but Brazil this was an important rule for win for Brazil they beat for Colombia 2-0 and leapfrogged them there's only one there's only one ah qualification group in Conmebol so it's essentially it's a one league if you like it's lots and lots of groups like there are elsewhere
00:20:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Brazil one were doing okay, but not that well, not as well as perhaps you might think. So they needed to win. They need to get their campaign back on the tracks. And they beat Colombia And that allowed them to leapfrog Colombia into third place. So that was an important win there. Argentina topped the group um and are looking very, very comfortable ahead of qualification there.
00:21:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. That's a quick flash around what's going on elsewhere in the world, some of the big games and the big gerk teams there. um but Before we move on to the last bit, which is a move away from the World Cup, but certainly focusing on international football still and what's going on in the USA.
00:21:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
As regular listeners will know, that Saturday feeling ah contains a weekly rant. And just because it's international break, there's no reason why we can't have a little bit of rant. So our rant this week is about the English media.
00:22:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, the English media are well known when it comes to giving the England football team, the England football players and the England football manager grief.
00:22:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they are they are unforgiving. You can win 5-0 and they'll find ah reasons to pick it apart. Players can be amazing and world beaters one week, but they yeah they miss a goal the next week and they're useless and rubbish and on the scrap. It's the way it's always been with the English media.
00:22:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
The way they've hounded England managers of the past, even those who have done well, is quite frankly shameful. and And this rant in particular is about the ah utterly ridiculous, utterly ridiculous preoccupation the English media have got with the English manager singing the national anthem.
00:22:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, ah frankly, who cares about the national anthems? they're just a precursor to getting the game going. The teams come out, they all shake hands, they all say, and you go, right, let's get on with the game, and no, we've got to hear the national anthems. Nobody cares, and it just gives the fans an opportunity to boo, I suppose, the opposition, but beyond that, let's just get on with the game.
00:23:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
The English media are obsessed with the manager singing the national anthem, and after Gareth Southgate departed last last summer after the Euros, Lee Carsley,
00:23:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
was put in charge. ah Now, Lee Carsley is a young manager. He was a former footballer, played for my club, Derby County, um and um has been managing England under-21s. ah Kind of got thrown into the to the spotlight of managing the senior team for a few games whilst they looked at employing a permanent manager.
00:23:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And rather like poor chap, a rabbit in the headlights, in his first press conference, but was asked, yeah, yeah, never mind about tactics and never mind formation, are you going to sing the national anthem? And he just didn't really know what to do.
00:23:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it became... a headline news because he sort of didn't really answer the question very well and then he sort of got flustered and then it then it was, oh, Carsley's not going to sing the national anthem and oh, heresy, heresy, disgraceful, st string him up.
00:24:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And it was really poor form. It was really poor form by the media and it was unfortunate for Carsley. Anyway, he's gone back to the under-21s and Thomas Tuchel has taken over, as we know. what?
00:24:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Guess what happened in his first press conference? Are you going to sing the national anthem? Are you going to sing the national anthem? Are you going sing the national anthem? Oh, for goodness sake. Tuchel was obviously well prepared for this, and he just went, no, great, good. I mean, for those for those amongst the England football-supporting fraternity who are already enraged, the fact that England dared give the job to a German manager, goodness me,
00:24:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah That's another rant, by the way. ah People who think that England must be managed by an England manager. No, England must be managed by somebody who can bring them success. Quite frankly, we want to win a World Cup. We want to win a European Championship.
00:25:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah We haven't done so since 1966. And I don't care what nationality the manager is as long as he wins. And Tuchel has given us a better chance of winning, in my opinion, than Gareth Southgate did. ah But no, he won't sing the national anthem.
00:25:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Deary me. That will come back to haunt him. He did say that if we started winning and after a few games, he might consider it. and But please, English media, grow up. Grow up.
00:25:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Stop fixating on things that don't matter for cheap and easy headlines. Okay? It doesn't matter whether the manager sings the national anthem or not. What matters is whether England win games and win tournaments.
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
There we go. Rant over. Right. um Before we move on to the last, very last bit of the of the show, here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spend a lot of time selecting our delivery platform.
00:25:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zencaster came out the clear winner. It's got 4K video recording on your phone, AI that automatically removes those ums and ahs. but We'll see what today looks like. um It's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. So if you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencastr.
00:26:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, we're going to finish with a brief look at the USA then, because there are rumblings of discontent within the national team. There are 448 days until the World Cup starts. The USA are obviously hosting it, along with Canada and Mexico.
00:26:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
The CONCACAF, which is the American Football Federation, is just finishing its Nations League tournament. It's coming up to the end of that, which is essentially, it's just ah it's just ah what we used to call in the UK the home nations tournament, whereby ah and all the teams within that federation play each other.
00:26:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Inevitably, Mexico win or the USA win. and They're the two, kind of always the two hot favorites. But in the semifinals, there was a bit of a shock because the USA this week lost to Panama.
00:27:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, the loss to Panama. So Panama have gone through to the final. ah They will play Mexico, who beat Canada, which was ah ah less of a shock, but is still a bit disappointing for ken Canada, who have been making decent strides, I think, in on the world in well football. They've got hopes to to have a decent tournament next year.
00:27:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
her But for the USA... um There's been a lot of navel-gazing in the last 48 hours since this result. Maurizio Pochettino, who is, of course, the manager there, um he's been sort of talking a lot about, well, just this, the attitude needs to change, and we're passing the ball, and we've got loads of possession, but we lack aggression.
00:27:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it seems to be a similar theme. really does seem to be a similar theme um with the USA National League. team.
00:27:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they've got to get this sorted out. the the Is it going to be a change of players they need? Because ultimately the players are still the same players that failed you know previously and and haven't really progressed that well in recent years. Is it a change of attitude? is it what i mean what is it What is it that's required here?
00:28:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's a difficult job. Pochettino's been in charge of now for a year hasn't really that doesn't really hasn't really um made that much progress and he's only got another year until the world cup and believe you me there is going to be a lot a lot of pressure on pochettino next summer to deliver because the americans you know you know what they like they like the sport and they like to win their sport and they won't accept a a performance in the world cup that's lacking if they don't make through the group stages
00:28:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
of the World Cup next year, there is going to be, ah well, to quote their president, there's going to be hell to pay, I would imagine. So the stats don't really bear up too well in you know in that game. They had so much possession. They had shots on target. they were passing Their passing rate was was really, really good, but they just lacked...
00:29:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
They just lacked that final killer touch, and Panama just scored out of absolutely nowhere. It was a goal that you' just go, well, i hang about where's all that come from? and then And then after that, you know the USA didn't really like doing anything.
00:29:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So it's going to have to be a lot of head-scratching. They go into a third-place playoff with Canada, which, let's face it, is a game that that nobody wants other than the Canadians um because of the political situation going on in America.
00:29:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
The Canadians will be absolutely desperate. to beat the USA. In fact, their manager said in the wake of their defeat to Mexico, we're going to be far more motivated to win the third place playoff because it was against ah Mexico than we were perhaps the semi-final.
00:29:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
The planning for the World Cup 26 has got to start now for both teams, for both Canada and the USA. We all know that a World Cup is always better if the hosts do well. It always matters that the hosts do well.
00:30:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So they've got to kind of work get get get working and and you know really hard now. I think this third-place playoff, the preparations for the World Cup have to start, and they have to start now. This game is the first thing. It doesn't really matter who wins. doesn't really matter who loses.
00:30:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
um You've got to start making changes, and you've got to start putting into effect things that are going to have an effect this time next year because there aren't that many games to go. you know Both Pochettino and we saw Thomas Tuchel ah back in England here, talk about the lack of time you have with your players in international football. And there are, there are only a limited amount of training sessions, limited amount of games, uh, to go. Um, so not, not going too well for the USA.
00:30:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, um, certainly they're going to need to buck their ideas up if they're going to make a good impression in the World Cup next year. We'll keep a very close eye on that, of course.
00:31:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, so that brings this podcast to an end. That's it for another week. Thank you very much for joining us for this international special. We'll be back on the Premier League this time next week. That's if Ken returns from his holidays.
00:31:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Until then, have a fabulous weekend, and we hope your team, wherever they are and whatever they're doing, has a great victory. Goodbye.