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WCAD 3-14: USMNT Copa América 2024 Preview
75 Plays1 year ago
Yahoo Sports' Henry Bushnell joins Austin and Amit to preview the USMNT at the Copa América. The guys talk expectations, pressure on Gregg Berhalter and break down the squad, from a questionable defense to a threatening attack. Finally, they tackle whether the USMNT can do anything other than the "Bell Curve Result" in 2024.
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Transcript
Introduction to World Cup After Dark
00:00:01
Speaker
A very special edition of the World Cup After Dark podcast coming to you today. My name
US Men's Team Outlook for Copa America
00:00:07
Speaker
is Austin Miller. I'm joined as always by Amit Malek. Amit, today we're gonna talk about a subject that I know is is near to dear near and dear to your heart. It was something that we didn't get to talk about when this podcast started because this podcast started way back when at a World Cup that the US s didn't even make. and they made 2022 and you got to talk about it a bit. But today on today's show, we are going to be breaking down the US s men's national team and their outlook for Copa America. I know you're excited. to
00:00:33
Speaker
Of course, thrilled to be talking about the US men's national team. The discourse is always so good. It's fun to be a fan, too. i Start off the bat, fan and analysis, same time. We can do both, or I can do both. ah And yeah, Copa America, something we're both very excited for. yeah One of the best tournaments, and it should be a good one this year, um in the USA.
Special Guest: Henry Bushnell on Football
00:00:56
Speaker
And we have a special guest on today's show. Our last special guest on the podcast made a joke that he was simply one of the patrons who had his name pulled out of a hat. And the same could be said of this man as well, who was also a beloved patron of World Cup after dark. On that note, I'm just letting you know, whenever my mom's name comes out of the hat, she's got some takes. She's ready. So so whenever whenever we're reaching that hat, my mom's name comes out as one of our beloved patrons to come on the show.
00:01:18
Speaker
um She's ready. She told me today, I admit, that she was very surprised that Portugal was still good. She said, I'm pretty surprised that Portugal is still good. So there you go. Joining us on today's show is Yahoo Sports' is Henry Bushnell, longtime friend of the show, patron of the show, supporter of the show. Henry, how are you doing? It's great to have you on. I'm good. And you just put the pressure on me. I got to live up to your mom's takes. Yeah. Yeah. You do. You do. Generally the takes stick to uniforms, so if you've got some good takes on what the US men's nationals be wearing this summer, we're here for it. That's one thing I no longer have takes on at all. I couldn't care less about kits, but I'm ready. Oh, no, man, no. Kits are where it's at. That's the good stuff. As we've done this podcast and as we've gotten deeper and deeper in the whole of international football, the deeper you get, the more interesting the whole kit conversation becomes. The further down Africa you go,
00:02:10
Speaker
You got to enjoy the little things, the stadiums, the kits, all of that, the flags. So it's fun. But ah we know we know the the teams and the kits here decently. So a little less intrigue in the Copa kits. I was much more interested in the ah lower level teams and and their kits than I would be in the what, England's or the US or Germany or whatever. I did click on an article today that was power ranking the UA for Eurokits because I just wanted it. I like to be prepared. like I don't like my first reaction to a kid to be like, what? They're wearing that. So anyway, all right, let's get into it. So what the people actually came here for, which isn't a ah discussion of the minutia of world football, or maybe that is what they're here for. We're going to talk about the US men's national
Focus on US Men's Team Performance
00:02:52
Speaker
team today.
00:02:52
Speaker
And that's all we're talking about on today's show. On further episodes, we will talk about Convable. We will talk about the other CONCACAF teams. But we brought Henry on. He covers the US Men's National Team beat. Amit covers the US Men's National Team beat from his perspective. So look, we're all in on the US Men's National Team here. So here's what we got today. Let's start, guys, and let's talk about, I mean, you and I, we're big vibes, guys, right? A lot of international football is about vibes. So Henry, Where are the vibes with the US Men's National Team going into this Copo America? This is a big opportunity, obviously, right? This is a home soil major tournament, which the US Men's National Team actually gets a lot of because they host the Gold Cup every time it happens. and But this is a home soil major tournament against not Mexico. And the last date with the us for the US s Men's National Team,
00:03:38
Speaker
in a major tournament ahead of that World Cup that is not the CONCACAP Gold Cup, which is just Mexico. So where are the vibes at with the US men's national team going into this Copa America? And it's fine if your response is simply a shrug emoji. Yeah, I mean, the so it's in like it is absolutely what you just said. It's the it's the first legitimate test since Qatar. And it yeah the la legitimate tests before twenty six um so it's So yeah, this this is it. um and so like there is and don't yeah I don't know what the the vibes is a very vague word, I'd say.
Can the US Team Beat Expectations?
00:04:14
Speaker
I'd say outside the outside the team, the vibes are, there's a lot of pressure on Greg Berhalter and on the players to do something more than just what is kind of the, as we'll talk about, I think probably just the 50th percentile result here. The bell curve is the term you're looking for. That's the yeah that's the World Cup after dark trademark term, the belt the bell curve.
00:04:37
Speaker
the bell curve, um inside the team, they certainly want to do more than that. And ah I think they're capable of it, but they haven't really, they haven't, they haven't really proven that they're capable of it. um So that's, you know, that's kind of where we're at. They still haven't beaten any big teams and they're going to try to do that. And chances are they probably won't, but ah we'll see. And I think to hop in like the United States now is pretty consistently a top 10 to 16 team in the world and fringe and in there somewhere on the top 10, but they're not quite in the top 10. And to do better than that outcome, they're going to have to beat ah either Brazil or Colombia in a knockout stage match. Like just the business end already at the start of this podcast,
Expected Performance in Copa America
00:05:29
Speaker
how much of
00:05:30
Speaker
all of the expectations and results shift around that one match. And they have to get there, for sure. They have to get there, but that one match, right? Absolutely. And were they're more than likely going to get there, I think. um And as I'm sure we'll discuss, it doesn't probably won't really matter whether they... you get five that cha um I mean, obviously a lot can change here, both in the US and in the Brazil-Colombia group, somehow. Um, I think it's, I think it's more likely that there is a shakeup in the US group than, than in the other one. Uh, but yeah, so it's, it's all going to come down to that game. And that's why I think like, like we've heard a lot of talking to build up to this tournament from the US camp about but it's not just about results. It's about the performances and. From a ambition standpoint, like solely this summer, that's not the case. Like it, it it obviously is about results, but when you.
00:06:27
Speaker
think about trying to assess whether this team is making progress toward loftier goals in 26. And you do have to think about the performances and it's going to matter how they play and whether that one-one draw against Uruguay is a legitimately good performance or just kind of a game that nobody really cares about and they slog through it. And then it's going to depend on how, you know, if do they get smashed by Brazil in the in the quarterfinal or is it a game like we saw, you know, we're recording this on June 13 is a game like we saw last night. um and And yeah, I think that is all relevant to how
00:07:07
Speaker
how we are we kind of come out of this moment thinking about the US. It's interesting, Amit, because I think that's a really great perspective, Henry. And it also kind of, I think, goes against kind of the ethos of international football, which is, doesn't really matter how you get it. This isn't a club season where there's 38 games and where eventually playing well gets you results. right like if you're If you're playing club football, over 38 games, if you consistently play well, you will eventually get results. That's just the law of averages. This is major tournament international football, which we harp on a ton here. and that It's three games. You'd love to play well. You'd prefer to play well. You'd like to play well. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you do, it just matters that you do it. And so I get all of that perspective of
00:07:54
Speaker
This is an important tournament for the U.S. because
Challenges Against Top Teams
00:07:56
Speaker
they need to show something, they need to play well and all that. But at the end of the day, if this tournament ends with the U.S. playing in a Copa America final, Amit, are you gonna care how they get there? No, and neither should the fans, and I think everyone wants results. I think there's this constant... i push, pull, tug of war within the US fan base, within the the the discourse about the team is, you know, the results or his performance as Henry outlined, and then this idea of how, how do you get them? Is it the grit, the heart? And then also how do you improve? You know, this is the only chance for them to get really big high level matches before 26. Like it'd be great if they played really well and lost.
00:08:40
Speaker
and then you know felt good about 26 but also at the same time it'd be great if they beat Brazil or Colombia and beat Uruguay playing kind of more backward soccer and backward soccer as an air quotes as always because the whole thing about the US men's national team is can they play like the top teams of the world? Can they beat the top team of the world? The answer that they want is for that to be yes, but it just does not happen overnight. And we're getting closer and closer with every generation. And for sure, this is the most talented team that the United States Men's National Team has ever put out. I think ye ah you look at the makeup of those club players and what they've done and even how they did in 2022. It matches the better results. I know 2002, but it's up there.
00:09:28
Speaker
The question is, are they going to, can they play on an even field against the Columbia or Brazil and beat them? We just saw in friendlies. And I think also the response from the fan base to the friendlies shows how much pressure there is that I think at the end of the day, externally, the results matter. Even if Greg has basically been trying to tell everyone that he wants this to really be, can my team play at that level? I think that's how I'm interpreting it. And I think he's realizing he might have to shift it. And of course, when the lights are on against a Brazil or Colombia in a knockout match, it's it's all out the window. Like everything we're saying is a little different. You're just in that game playing to win that game.
00:10:07
Speaker
And Henry, it's it's interesting because it it certainly feels like from an an outside perspective that the U.S. has almost graduated from CONCACAF, if you will. And part of that is due to the U.S. improving and part of that is due, frankly, the fact that Mexico is simply not at the level they have been traditionally. Mexico is not world powered. Mexico is not in the conversation to when Mexico is completely lost. Canada at a point I think was a a legitimate challenger to the US s and then because of of Federation issues has probably fallen off a bit as well. So because of that.
00:10:39
Speaker
You take the US, they've figured out what they need to do in CONCAF, right? They know how to break down a low block. They know how to take a Central American team and eventually wear them down. Sometimes they struggle going on the road. They have pretty much figured out how to beat Mexico and Canada when they play head to head. And so what is left for this team? is to play matches outside CONCACAF. And because the way that everything has kind of convolutedly come together, this is the only chance they'll get to do that at a big stage ahead of the World Cup. And so with so few chances, we're so hungry for these data points, right? How do they actually look against top tier competition?
00:11:15
Speaker
Exactly. And what essentially the question we're trying to answer is like, you mentioned their dominance of Mexico. How much of that is because Mexico is in a downtrend? Like, like, yeah how would this current US team do against like 2018 Mexico? Like, and we, I don't think we know that yet. And there's, you know, there's obviously this, we think that this US s squad, that this is the most talented squad in terms of the, just the players that the US has ever had. If you look at the, and I know it's not all about the clubs that they're playing at, but like, when you When you look at you know the clubs that guys were playing at 15 years ago and and you look at where MLS was at as a league 15 years ago and you look at where these guys are now and they're throwing out entire 11s in the big five leagues from from Europe, um we think this
Role and Pressure on Coach Berhalter
00:12:00
Speaker
is the best team ever, but we're still kind of waiting to see what that can come together into and what the ceiling of that team is.
00:12:09
Speaker
So let's start a bit with the manager, Greg Berhalter. We've kind of beat around the bush a little bit. So let's talk about the man that has been in the headlines lately. It was a perfectly acceptable outcome for Greg Berhalter's US men's national team in Qatar. They achieved the bell curve result. They performed fine against England. They were close enough against the Netherlands without really being close. And that was a result that was completely up to expectations without exceeding or falling below. Since then, things have gotten a little bit weird. He was not the coach of the U.S. Men's National Team for six months. Then he came back but didn't manage the Gold Cup in 2023. Then won the Nations League in 2024 and did it in style. Where are we at with Greg Burhalter in the U.S. in it? Yeah, really good question. And Henry is going to speak on this in a sec, too. And he obviously wrote a piece kind of after the Columbia game.
00:13:00
Speaker
using the word preheating, which I thought was accurate because there's always pressure um on a manager like Greg Berhalter who is managing a very notable, high-profile job yeah in the country that's hosting a World Cup in two years for a country and a federation that so desperately needs to show its progress. you know you It can't be overstated enough how much soccer is talked about in the United States as building up to this World Cup as this you know moment that the entire trajectory of soccer in this country can change. And even if all three of us maybe believe it's not as cut and dry in the as that, there is this sense to building up to that. And it's all about getting it right. So to me, they did a whole process and they decided this guy who coached them in 2022 did a good job.
00:13:50
Speaker
was the right guy to bring back even after they lost him and the players like him. So I think he has a pretty comfortable spot here that even if he he'd he'd have to really get this really badly to lose this job. I don't think that achieving the bell curve outcome, which is we could talk about would be losing in the in the quarterfinals to a Columbia or Brazil, get some canned unless It's very drastically one-sided. And I don't see that being the case because of just the way this team is wired. That's so hard for me to imagine that happening in a knockout game. But that's my, that's my take. And I just think you can't go through all that song and dance to bring this guy back. And so like put your stake in him and then get rid of him after four games. But crazier things happen in international football with managers all the time elsewhere.
00:14:47
Speaker
And that's kind of being a big country, international football, is you get the the circus. I think there are there are two different questions here, right? there's should like what What should happen if they get x Copa America result or y Copa America american result and what will happen? And the latter question, I really don't think we know because we haven't seen Matt Crocker, the new US sporting
Why Rehire Berhalter?
00:15:11
Speaker
director, and and this hierarchy be in a position where they have to fire our coach. um I think, look, let's be honest. I think part of the reason that they brought Berhalter back was because there wasn't a home run candidate out there who was going to come in instead. I think if that candidate was there at the same salary level, they might've gone elsewhere. But yeah, it's at a fascinating point. And I think in terms of the should conversation, I think it's pretty fair to say they have not made progress
00:15:46
Speaker
since 2020, like after the 2020, and I don't know if this is jumping ahead and what you guys want to talk about, but like, after it coming out of the 2022 World Cup, when this Copa America got announced, I would have said that like, by the start of Copa America, this team should be the third favorite. yeah Like, and this is pre, you know, Bielsa Uruguay, this is pre Columbia. Yeah, right. Exactly. Right. Like they seem like the, there's a decent chance that could be the, their best team, whereas like those other teams have progressed. And the US like is basically in the, I think the roster is deeper now than it was 18 months ago, but I don't know that the team is playing much better or differently. Um, but like, like there hasn't been that many that like the sample size is still so small. We we don't have really good international football, right? Exactly. Right. Because in a way, these are the only data points you're going to get.
00:16:45
Speaker
And so you're going to have to make a decision in July ah of 2024, whether this guy is your coach for 26. And the available evidence is going to be what happens over the next few games, basically. Yeah. I think what we do have from 2022 on Greg as a manager is he generally gets his team to play hard in the big games. His players like him. He has a pretty convoluted build-up system. He likes his positional play. He built that up in the MLS with some success. But he's not too idealistic that he his team won't adapt to play a high-level opponent. He's tactically
00:17:29
Speaker
competent. I don't think he's astute. I think Louis Van Hall notably kind of got him in that game with his use of the wing backs and the five back line and getting those cross in the back line. And I think teams, you know, can press them hard because they're not the best building in the back. But he knows that like Greg is not like a clueless manager and The U.S. fans are should be the first to realize what that looks like, what they had in the first half of the 2010s, in terms of tactics. So, like, there's ambition. Could you have someone better? but For sure. Is there a name out there? You got to start naming names. And then what it takes to get them. And, you know, there are some names that could be available in the summer of 2024. Yeah, you want you you want to drop that name that I gave you the other day? Henry, what what do you say to a Yergen Klopp, U.S. men's national team manager?
00:18:21
Speaker
I mean, how how much how much money is he asking for? You're hosting the World Cup. I don't care how much you ask for. hey you yeah Right. um I'm not 100% convinced he'd be great. I'll say that. but every international I'll say this on Clop, and we've we've gone a little bit off the rails, but this is all relevant, I think, to the discussion. is that this team is wired a certain way and also Klopp is wired a certain way. I think Liverpool was a very hard in the ah spotlight job, very hard job to compete ah against Man City too. And I think he also might not want to be back in that spotlight in it like a lose-lose situation where like no matter what you're gonna get clowned by ah in a country where like soccer isn't the biggest sport, there's that side of it. And then the the personnel side of it, I've always thought that
00:19:11
Speaker
The US could lean a little bit more towards an energy drink style manager, Jesse Marsh. Maybe you bring in a guy like Ralph Rangnick, who might be available after his euros with Austria. Maybe you go that kind of guy. You're going to clap as that kind of guy. but Also, is that how you're gonna play the teams that are better than you, which goes back to the core of the Greg debate? How does he try to beat teams that are better than him? And we know why he beats Mexico. The US is more athletic than them, up and down the field, and they turn it into a duel's battle, into transition, and they're very good at that, given that roster. It's harder to play that game against the Brazil's, the Uruguay's of the world.
00:19:56
Speaker
I think what you said a bit ago that he like he at his at his core as a manager, Berhalter, he is about his ideals. and but But we've seen him, in when the games really matter, he will stray from that like to to a necessary degree. The England game. The England game is a perfect example. yeah do we And the World Cup in general is the the perfect. It's just a good example of that. And yes, like maybe didn't get it right against the netherlands but i don't think he got it crazy wrong against the netherlands and like played find that game i mean you you could say he wasn't forced to play hazes for air as a striker but like his starting striker was injured like you know they they were a bit hams strong and they still you know, if Christian ballistic finishes that chance in the fourth minute or whatever, it's a different game. So anyway, that we're getting off track. But like, that's why I think we have to wait to see what happens in this global America. And we saw them before the World Cup play to their ideals in pre tournament friendlies. And they went 180 scoreless minutes against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
00:20:59
Speaker
Um, so we're already improving on that this time around in terms of, uh, this, uh, given the opponents and, you know, getting a draw against Brazil. So but yeah let's see what happens at open America. And that's
Possession-Based Football Strategy
00:21:10
Speaker
where we're at. Like I, the Columbia result, actually, I actually don't think the, these, these friendlies really met now that they got a result against Brazil and played decently. Well, I don't, I think, you know, Brazil still outplayed them. I think people saying they outplayed Brazil is a bit ah flat out wrong. Um, But like now I think we're back to square one where it's like, what happens in Copa America is what matters. Sure. All right, let's break into talking about who this team is a minute. Let's look at what this team looks like. So the squad that this team has, we saw it in the friendlies. We saw some mediocre performances from the US men's national team. We saw a better performance against Brazil. ah Bad defensive mistakes, slow intensity against Colombia, much better intensity against Brazil. They were decent with the ball.
00:21:58
Speaker
This US men's national team omit is built on paper to play with the ball, to have possession and to allow those attacking players to break down opposing defenses, right? That's the goal. That's what they're trying to do here. I think that's what they want to do when everything goes right. And I think also it can be tough for them. um when and they they like openness going forward. That definitely helps them. Their best players thrive in transition attacking. Christian Polisic, Waya,
00:22:30
Speaker
You know, Reina is a great dribbler. Moussa is really good at getting the ball up the field. Anthony Robinson is a really good at vacuuming up space in the left side. But I think in general, they want to control the game and the field with where they win the ball, how they win the ball, pin the other team in. Against a team like Brazil, you saw it was, first of all, it was very hot in Orlando. So it was not as aggressive pressing as maybe either team can play on their best day. Welcome to the Copa America. It's going to be hot in the United States in June and July. um So it's it's they they want to use the ball, sure, but I think they also want to use their athleticism and transition as much
Adapting Style Against Strong Opponents
00:23:14
Speaker
as possible. And it depends on the personnel, especially I think at the defensive midfielder spot, how tilted they are towards each different style.
00:23:25
Speaker
Henry, how do you think they want to play? In the ideal world, what is the US men's national team going to try to do this tournament? Yeah, I think it's it's interesting. They have backed off the press a bit since ah since the twenty twenty you know towards the end of the 2022 cycle. You know, it midway through the 2022 cycle, Berhalter realized that that was the strength to play to, right? Like trying to use a press a bit more as opposed to solely trying to control games in possession and things like that. And it became a bit more up-tempo. I think they backed off that a bit over the past 18 months. um So I'm interested to see
00:24:00
Speaker
whether they go back to it a bit ah this time around and look like it's yes it's hot in the us in the summer but most of these games are going to be kind of indoors right that's fair i was going to say with with one thing is it's also limiting by their center backs personnel i mean tim ream is to me such a crucial part of the entire way this team is going to play because you know he's slow just as slow i you know i'm gonna be silly here i looked up his pace in the video game yeah eafc twenty four and it's yeah babyy it's bad that's slow
00:24:32
Speaker
but what you saw against brazil is he was really good at using the ball with his feet. This guy's a Premier League center back for a reason. ah He's also really good in that left-sided center back spot. He's just so good at not giving the ball away ah when teams come press, very good at using his hips to disguise angles, very solid. And he's a solid defender. So you kind of need him because the rest of the center back options aren't good. I don't think you can name two center backs that can play in a game over Tim Reem
00:25:02
Speaker
and feel better about it than having Tim Reem in the game. So if Tim Reem is in the game, you can't be playing too high of a press. And against Brazil, I think what worked really well, and they still got caught in moments of defensive transition, was their defensive shape and their compactness, but not like trying to press the ball super high off the field. It was more about denying the ball to Brazil's playmakers in easy spots and making them work for it. I think personnel eyes, like center back is one of the positions I'm semi worried about right now. Just cause like Tim, so Tim Ream lost his starting spot at Fulham this past season. Like he is. Like he he has gone way beyond the age already where you would have expected, uh, you know, expected a pretty steep
Defensive Line and Tactical Adjustments
00:25:45
Speaker
decline. Um, and I think we have started to see, you know, a half step of that, um, recently. And yes, he's still great on the ball. Um, but like that.
00:25:56
Speaker
They got caught a lot. There were a lot of Brazilian attackers running behind them on on Wednesday night. Yeah, for sure. For sure. And my question is, well, then do you can you play Miles Robinson and Chris Richards, which is a much more athletic duo? That's the problem, though. like we There is no second proven center back, right? um And even i mean Chris Richards does not look good the past two games either. um and And the chemistry with any center back pairing is going to be hard defensively. and Yeah, I think Rodrigo Venetius, we're just, we're really having joy running behind them, around them, past them. It was, and look, those guys are very, very fast and playing for the club that just won the Champions League. It's a different level, but you play Uruguay, Darwin. Every team has that, right? Good luck to what we came down.
00:26:46
Speaker
Yeah. So it's and like, but so that wasn't the problem against Columbia though. No, no, you're right. Colombian attackers running behind them like that. It was, so it's not, it does, to some extent, like very game by game. I think what you need from that spot, but I don't know that you trust miles Robinson and Copa America, a significant, yes. In a sense, like the US is hamstrung there. They just are. So like i think I think based on what we saw against Brazil, you play Reem and you you lean into his strength on the ball. And defensively, you you get a lot of cover from Robinson. And listen, Matt Turner made a bunch of decent saves on decent chances for Brazil. Nothing like too crazy.
00:27:32
Speaker
like He's also not good with his feet either. And that gave up the goal to Brazil. And it's always a worry when this team plays. That's one of the things that's interesting, Henry, because there was a period in this Berhalter era where, if I'm not mistaken, he was consistently playing goalkeepers who could play the ball. That was a big thing of what he wanted. And now it seems like they've gone kind of the other stretch. Where do you feel about, how do you feel, I should say, about Matt Turner, US number one? I think he's, it's it's less, so I think burr also still cares about how well his goalkeeper can play
Strengths and Weaknesses: Goalkeeper Turner
00:28:08
Speaker
with his feet. I just don't think there's anybody, even though Matt Turner is, you know, was stuck on the bench for the latter half of the season at at Nottingham forest in the Premier league. Like ah there's no, there's nobody close to challenging him right now. He's the pretty undisputed number one and they're going to.
00:28:24
Speaker
They're going to ride with him and he could look shaky like he did at times at Forest and like he did in that Columbia game. He also can come up with a ah game like he he did against Brazil on Wednesday night. And like he's a, he is a, like at at this level, even at this level at a, you know, a comfortable Copa America level, he's an above average shot stopper for sure. um the the rat like Yeah, he's he's he's not good with his feet, um but I think he's, you know, he's even though he's not totally consistent with his performances, like you you almost have to rely on him as if he's just your guy and he's consistent. Gaga Selena's not there yet, Amit. No. Chicago Fire Move.
00:29:05
Speaker
We're back to Sean Johnson as the third goalkeeper on this roster. I had a good little chuckle about that today when I looked at the squad and realized that Sean Johnson was still hanging around as the ah the third goalkeeper, which yikes. I mean, if Sean Johnson gets in a game, it's not good. um The rest of the defense here, I mean, we talked about the center backs. Full backs. What are we looking at? Well, Robinson's great. He's just really solid. hey Oh, Henry doesn't buy it. I mean, I think he's he's nailed on and you know what you're getting from him. He's athletic. He's decent one on one. You can, you know, you can catch him out. He made a huge error on the Columbia first goal. Like he's not all the way locked in all the time and he can lose a runner behind him. But physically, he's what you want from a fullback. And he also links well with Polisich the other way. And he's really good at getting up and down the left wing.
00:29:54
Speaker
He's a solid player I really like him and the thing is it could be a lot worse look at right back yeah know but but To be clear my my reaction that listeners obviously did not see but you guys saw was was solely based on the past two games like he was not good in either of the and Looked kind of either, you know, you hope it was just like friendly. Well, Rafinha also is a tough player to play. These dribbling wingers, like like he's a very good physical tools defender. But listen, it's hard to ask anyone what it's like to stop the best dribbles in the world. you've got to be You've got to have a different skill set than just relying on your athleticism to stand a guy up like that. Rafinha turned him inside out how many times? it was It was tough. But at least he's reliable. And then you look at right back, and it's Joe Scali who
00:30:41
Speaker
how much of a right back is he? And he's doing his best. He did, he battled but Vinny like ah you saw memes like Joe from New York pocketed Vinny like, okay. It was tough. Yeah. I think that the biggest issue is that neither of those guys now, neither of those fullbacks are ball progressors, right? Like, so previously the, the, the nailed on 11 was, uh, was Robinson on the left and so do you know, desk on the right and desk towards ACL and that changed things. But when when it was that you had like a, I mean, so do you know, desk is essentially a midfielder playing fullback in terms of the role that he fulfills within the team.
00:31:21
Speaker
And that allows you to do some things, you know, unbalanced formations, where Robinson is just a total straight line guy. Scali is a... I don't even know if you could call him a straight line guy, because he he gets what my what my brother would call altitude sickness. When he gets high out the field, i he struggles a bit. That's incredible. He's Joe from New York. Yeah, but look, I mean, he he stood up to Louis Wilson and Vinny, okay. Listen, the options if it's not him, and I think Robinson's spot is locked in. If it's not him, it's Shaq Moore, who I think. I think if it's not him, it's like Tim Weijer or. Moving Weijer right back. Some makeshift options. Also, they could play ah five too. I mean, that's still, you have to play fullbacks, but like that's another layer of protection. It's not like getting an extra center back isn't necessarily a
00:32:14
Speaker
great player, but it's just an extra defender.
Right Back Position: Joe Scali's Options
00:32:17
Speaker
Yeah. But I actually, I actually think Scali nailed down his spot with those two. these two perform yeah I'm with you because I think he's better than check more right now. Right. And look like the other thing we have to think about is like, it's a, it's a pretty strong endorsement of where the player pool is at that like you're, you're nailed on starter at right back can get injured. And the guy that we're worried about is a 21 year old who's already made like 70 something Bundesliga appearances for mid table team. Like it's pretty darn, you know, that's, that's a deep player pool. Yeah. And as we move forward, as we look at the squads, we've talked about, we'll keep talking about defense. This is when things really get interesting because now you're talking about decisions where a minute you're leaving talented players on the bench in order to put other talented players in the
Midfield Selection Dilemma
00:33:04
Speaker
team. As you get to the midfield forward into attack, that's where it gets really interesting for the U S men's national team. Yeah. and
00:33:11
Speaker
You know, I'd love to hear Henry's opinion first. I just don't think you can play Musa, Adams, Weston, Polisic, and Wea all at the same time. And you have to have a striker, whether that that can be later. But of all those guys, one of them has to be left out. Yeah, I mean, I think, I think Gio is, Gio Reyna is pretty, I think Both him and Weston, ah I really think it's that, I think if everybody's healthy, it's actually pretty clear that it'll be Adams, McKinney, Reyna as the midfield. And Musa gets left out. And I think Musa gets left out. i
00:33:46
Speaker
I thought he did well against Brazil. I know that doesn't mean he deserves the spot, and the difference in his skill set versus Adams or are clear. Adams is much more of a defensive ball winner transition single-handedly, covers your defensive transition, but he's much less of a ball progressor. You have other players to do that, especially with Gio in midfield. what Moussa did, again, not 100% consistently, is when he turns and has the ball, he's 40 yards up the field. And he's so good at that. That is so valuable. Now, the end product, if he had any end product, he would have been a better player by now. But he's still a good player. I know. i'm I think Adams, I understand Adams. It's just talk talk to talk to me about why that is the way that you see it going and maybe why Greg sees it going.
00:34:38
Speaker
Because i think i think the case for I think the reason why some people see Musa as an option as the six is that they see his athleticism and think he can do the defensive side of it, and he but he has nowhere near the tactical awareness that Tyler Adams has. And I think that like Adams is a great runner and can get stuck into duels and also can read the game really well. And I think that's why if he is now the wildcard here is his health, right? Like he hasn't, he's really struggled with injuries over the past year. Um, he's still, you know, he has been on a, didn't play against, uh, Columbia was on a minute, a pretty strict minutes limits against Brazil. Who knows whether he's going to be fit for at least 60 to start against. I know. I mean,
00:35:24
Speaker
the the Bolivia game, we the the starting line, it doesn't really matter that much at all. don't hit them all but That's why I think like if we're thinking about the ideal 11 for the Uruguay game and the quarterfinal, if they get there, like I think it'll be, um, and, and I think the wingers are pretty locked in at this point. Totally. I don't think I, like, I think everybody's decided that Reyna in this team at least is best as a, the way they want to play as best as a midfielder. Um, they they've used him weirdly deep, uh, the past two games, like against Columbia, they were building with a ah double pivot basically. Um, and he was alongside Johnny, which was, I think not ideal. Um, but anyway, yeah, I think that's the three and, and Musa is, I mean, I think Musa is a very valuable sub off the bench for sure, just because of the energy he can bring.
00:36:16
Speaker
Totally. i I think that makes sense. you know We'll see with with Tyler Adams. I agree with what he does, and he's progressed enough as the way he reads the game to give you something going forward. But he's in for his defensive work, and he is miles better at that than Musa.
Striker Selection and Alternatives
00:36:32
Speaker
Striker, I mean, this is Flows when he when he's healthy, right? Yeah, I think so. I think calling him is health, but just as long as he's there, he's going to be the starter, right? You're not actually starting Pepe against ah the best teams. No, and think I think if Josh Sargent had stayed healthy over the latter half of the season, I think he maybe could have pushed Ballo, but yeah, no, I think Ballo's the starter for sure. Dude, what's it gonna take for Brandon Vasquez to get in this team? thats That's my consistent question about this US men's national team. um'm not I'm not a huge Brandon Vasquez guy. I don't think he does enough outside the penalty box. He scores goals! You're telling me you can't put a guy in the team that scores goals? That's the point of the game! Anyway.
00:37:13
Speaker
That's my contribution to this discussion.
Does the US Have a Game-Changing Supersub?
00:37:15
Speaker
ah Super sub option. what what what When the US s needs to change a game, when they're looking to change a game, what are they going to do, Henry? What should we expect? Who are we going to see and what are they going to try to do? What they don't really have is like the attacking supersub, right? Do you think that's fair? like They don't. They don't have the guy that could come on and unlock the game. I think you look at their options off the bench, there are guys that run hard and like get in good positions like Aronson, Tillman, maybe, Sergeant, what we're getting out of him. Tillman could be that guy, right? I like his game, and he's a pretty good like advanced attacking midfielder. But he's less like creativity and more like show up around the box and get the ball forward into the box and shoot a little bit. like I haven't watched as much of him as PSV as maybe your brother. I know he's a big PSV fan. But like he's a useful player, but he's not elite at that.
00:38:12
Speaker
Totally. And he hasn't really shown it for the national team yet. like he He hasn't been been great. um So yeah, to your point, like the guys off the bench are Aronson, Moussa. I mean, Luca De La Torre is an interesting player. um If you need defensive stability, like Johnny is obviously very serviceable. And there are ah you know he wasn't great against Columbia, but there were people before that game who would have said that maybe he should be in contention to even to start a new field based on what he's done over the past 12 months and beyond. um But yeah, no, there's not, it's like the, it's just a really deep roster in midfield. And the Ford, I mean, just over Carter peppy is going to be used as a sub in this tournament. I'm sure. And, and his scored goals as a sub, um, but he's not a, you know, he's not an elite striker off the bench by any means.
00:39:01
Speaker
Haji right still here is true that right we were appreciate him on is like a second forward wide forward and just like, you know, a little more root one for him. I think that's an option for them for sure. That's what they did against ah Jamaica in the in the Nations League. And yeah, yeah, hadji Haji right came in and that yeah, like, right. He's so He can play both, he can play anywhere between as an actual number nine and a four, three, three, and as a true winger. um he's He's pretty versatile across the, across the four of the line. And so he's actually, yeah, he should have been my answer first answer to the question. Like if we're if we're thinking about attackers who are going to change games, I think he's probably on top of the list right now. You could hear us talking about it. When the US s is down chasing a goal or two in games, they don't have great answers, do they?
00:39:53
Speaker
Agree, agree. Yeah, they're not good at chasing games in general. All right, so we've talked about the manager, we've talked about the team, we've talked about the
Group Stage Matches Overview
00:40:01
Speaker
vibes. Let's talk about what's actually going to happen, the three at least games that the US s is going to play here. They're in a group with Bolivia, Panama, and Uruguay. The order of the games is that they will play Bolivia first at AT and&T Stadium in Dallas, which seats 100,000 people, which is not going to have for that game. Then they'll play Panama, a tricky, what feisty little... What is that game? Does anyone know? the is Is the light gonna mess with anyone? The way the shade comes in at Jerry World?
00:40:30
Speaker
I don't know, I'll look it up real quick. ah Then they'll play Panama, i a feisty CONCACAP team that's on the rise, that shouldn't be underestimated, but is also a very familiar entity for the U.S. myself. They know what they're getting with Panama. Then they'll play Uruguay in a match that, for what you would expect, is is probably going to decide who finishes first and second in the group. And then they'll have a quarterfinal, the path, Look, if the US was in Mexico's spot in this draw, the expectations would be very different for this Copo America, but they're not. And that means that their quarterfinal match, more likely than not, is going to be against either Colombia or Brazil. So this emit really sets itself up for a very patented bell curve result, because you have two very winnable games to start, and then you have two games in which the US will not be favored to win that follow it.
00:41:19
Speaker
Yes, but at the same time, like there should be ambition to not settle and be like the way we talk about the best teams in the Euros. if listen to your preview podcast separately, or just in general, hear me out for a second, is you got to win your group so that you can get the right matchup in the knockout round. It's a lot different in the euros where you win a tough group, you get a third place team, but it's so much valuable to finish ahead. But like we could be honest, like I know the results weren't necessarily that way in friendlies, but like chips on the table, you'd rather play Colombia than Brazil, I think.
00:41:56
Speaker
Henry, shake it. It's a tough one. Probably. But like let's see. Maybe there's drama on the final day. I'd love for the US to put as many as they can pass the first two so that even a draw with Uruguay would send them through. That would even be ah value like a perfectly fine way for me to, say, win the group because that's how lots of teams win the groups in other competitions. You want to win the group because if something wild happens and Paraguay or Costa Rica show up in the quarterfinals, you definitely want to be playing that. Yeah, that's my point. So like- You're not going to know for sure heading in. Well, you might- You might. You might. And that definitely changed it. There's a chance that that game versus Uruguay could feel relatively dead rubbery. And in that sense, we'll then we're even robbed of another crucial data point of which we have so few. But I want this team to take that on and ideally win the group. That would be a sign of not the bell curve.
00:42:55
Speaker
I don't know. I mean, Panama and Bolivia, more to common later podcasts, they're just not in the same class. If the US is hungry and intense, they should beat those teams and beat them by multiple goals. By the way, I just want to point out, I'm pretty sure it's the way that Comable set up this tournament. It's their fault that we are in this scenario where the US and Uruguay are playing on the final match day in a game that might not mean anything. And Brazil and Colombia are on the final match day because they didn't draw the positions in the group. Right? they just like The pot the pot one team is playing the pot two team on the final match day And that's not not a good setup for for entertaining soccer. Well hang on We're 44 minutes in this podcast so anybody that's paying me money is is not still listening Those are people who signed my checks Henry watch out Anyway ah Henry against Bolivia and Panama the US should win those games and they should win them relatively comfortably and
00:43:52
Speaker
Yeah, especially the Bolivia. I mean, you know more about these teams than I do, but especially the Bolivia game. Yeah. Against Bolivia, the US should win and win comfortably. Anything other than that will be a a very tough result. I think Panama, o admit we have seen enough from Panama over recent windows. They are a growing team. There's a case to be made that they are the fourth best team in CONCACAF, maybe even the third best team in CONCACAF. They're ranked higher than Canada in rankings. Again, exact rankings is less useful than tiers of rankings, but just just throwing that out there. But also, this is a very familiar foe for the U.S. This is a team that they see a lot of. They know how to handle Panama. They're not going to be surprised
Tactical Challenge: Uruguay
00:44:31
Speaker
by anything. So getting to the Uruguay match, this Henry is a absolutely fascinating matchup on paper because Uruguay are a national team on the rise. They're a national team with a very distinct style.
00:44:45
Speaker
Marcelo Villosa is going to have his Uruguay side that if there's anything on the line you know how they're gonna play and it poses a Really really difficult test for that back line that we were questioning five ten minutes ago I have no idea how the US would approach it. I really have no idea and I think which you'd probably see is they try to play over the top of the press a bit more and just like skip lines and Like I don't think Tim Reem is going to be hitting too many short balls to Jedi Robinson and and passing me between the center backs. um And like I think the US has shown that they're capable of adjusting in that way. And I think Verhalter would do that. like They're not going to just like play into Uruguay's hands. um But yeah, it's it's a really it's a really tough game. um And i i'll be I'll be, even if there's nothing on the line, I'll be fascinated to see how they how they approach it.
00:45:38
Speaker
Because Bielsa is not going to change the style, right? and And that's the thing you know, that regardless of who Uruguay put out there, and even if we get to a scenario in which Uruguay are through and and whatever and they choose to rotate, regardless of who they put out there on it, they are going to put pressure on the US backline because even the Uruguay rotated side is going to press high, press hard, press consistently. And that's a challenge to to try and deal with. Totally. I think what's also just tough, even when you do try to play over them, is that their center backs are very good, too. Araho is very good. yeah um I don't know who else they're going to play next to him, but a bunch of those guys are solid. um Midfield-wise, I mean, Valverde is just showing how how good he is. Rodrigo Betancourt is a solid
00:46:25
Speaker
ballplay He's not the best presser, but they have other guys. And then, I mean, Darwin Nunez in a Uruguay short is different than he is in a Liverpool shirt. And even a Liverpool shirt, he walks into the more XG than anyone in almost anyone in the Premier League. That guy is a problem for the US backline in a way that Brazil did not have a striker ah to play through. Vinny was in the nine spot and moving, everyone was moving all around. Like that's a different challenge for how they line up defensively. And I'm with Henry where you said like, Yeah. They're going to have a plan. I don't think they have good answers to try to push up against Uruguay. Yeah. And they like the issue for them is that like ballows Fuller and Balagan's strength is not getting the ball into his feet at at midfield under with a, with a center back on his back. Right. Like it's more so running in behind once the, once the U S has already progressed the ball to a Gio Reyna or a Western McKinney.
00:47:21
Speaker
Um, and, and they're moving forward. Um, and they really, the U S really struggled against Columbia to access their number 10. Like they could not get the ball to Weston McKinney or Gio Reyna, whoever was the most. Advanced midfielder. And I think that's like, they'll have to have a very specific plan for how they're going to try to break that initial line of pressure and kind of get behind, not even get behind the herb ice defense, get behind their midfield. Right. And, and just like get kind of tilt the game a bit, which is kind of can be really hard against the BLSA team. What do I also just roasted Mexico four nil for the record and in a friendly, which is its a concerning result.
00:48:02
Speaker
That's the other thing. They're relentless. Um, where, you know, you can play well, 60, 70 minutes against them. I'm not saying consecutively, but we can play a good match. And then a few defensive mistakes. That's what they eat. They eat up is what they love to do. And the Columbia game obviously can happen that if you play USA Columbia like 10 times, I don't think you get a four goal score line in more than one or two outcomes, but it's, it can spiral. And in a game against Uruguay that like, maybe who knows what the stakes will be. like That could happen too, because of the way they play. So Henry, if at the end of the Copa America, we are talking about a US men's national team that has exceeded expectations, they've made a semi-final, they're in the final, they're playing for the title, why?
What Must Happen to Exceed Expectations?
00:48:51
Speaker
Oh, that's a good, it's a good, it's a really hard question to answer because like we haven't seen them beat a team of like, I don't know how they beat yeah a team like Brazil, but, but I think it's like the answer is. I mean, they, they get to the quarterfinal, like we expect them to. And then they play that quarterfinal like they did against Brazil in the friendly recently, or like they did against England at the world cup and just get a bit of luck. Right. Like, I think that's, that's what you're trying to get down and like luck that they didn't get in that. Um, you know, like.
00:49:22
Speaker
in that England game, I'm thinking about that cross that Weston McKinney, you know, late in the first half, skied over the, skied over the bar. Like maybe he finishes that. Um, maybe one of these chances against, and look, like the thing about the Brazil game was there were a lot of chances in that game on both sides. Brazil on the balance had a lot more shots and and better chances. Um, but there were enough chances created in that game on both sides that two of the US's could have gone in and only one of Brazil's could have gone in. And like, if you play that same game again in a Copa America semi-final, there's what, a 20, 25% chance that the US wins? Something like that. When you factor in that a draw will take you to penalties. So, I'm with you. I think that's how they get there. I don't, like they're not going to dominate Brazil or Colombia. And I don't think,
00:50:14
Speaker
That's what they should be trying to do. um You try to play this, you try to play your 80th, 90th percentile game, which makes you even with one of these teams. And yeah, well um something can happen. Amit, the exact same question to you, but completely
Potential for Underperformance
00:50:31
Speaker
reversed. We finished the Culp of America. We say the US men's national team has failed. They did not get out of the group. They were poor against Uruguay. Why? why
00:50:40
Speaker
I think it starts probably if they don't get out of the group, you know, the intensity isn't there because they underestimate Bolivia and Panama for sure. That intensity is a given has to be for them. And I, I'm really not expecting that. But if you're telling me things went wrong, they definitely over ah underestimated those two teams. They were sloppy building up, you know, just not that sharpness that it takes to build up against anyone. Um, the chemistry isn't there in the back. Um, Robinson gets dribbled by Scali gets d dribbled by Turner gives the ball away and they just can't recover. They're down one zero early in games. They don't have the players to come back. And then also like, you know, they don't finish their chances too. Like, I mean, it's easy to say it. You could say that for any team yeah in a major tournament.
00:51:26
Speaker
Ask Germany. Ask Germany who runs up their XG in every major tournament and gets booted early. Like, bad finishing can hurt anyone. But I don't think, like, I want Balligan to play well. I know he's a good striker, but, like, his good tape with the US men's national team is just limited. Like, I'm not saying, I think he's a good striker, but, like, are we sure he's gonna come in and score all the goals? And even if it's not him, Are the other players going to score their chances? I think Christian Polisic is rellic ah over the course of his career become relatively ruthless. But like this United States men's national team isn't like killer finishers, the way like you would talk about ah the best teams. Like I was i wasn't going to say Uruguay, Darwin, Nunez, but like think of the way you perceive Luis Suarez in your head.
00:52:20
Speaker
like ruthlessness or the way you perceive some of them mexico's strikers of past generations even or like the best players in liga mx like um pier guinea i can't say his name geniac yeah geniac like you know sometimes you can be a little worse but a little ruthless and i don't think the u.s like attacking players are like that they're good at a lot of things but not necessarily finishing except for way end polish can finish but if they have
00:52:50
Speaker
you know three four games of bad finishing it could all go wrong here and i really think the other part of that scenario you touched on at the at the beginning but just like the intensity levels like we we we talked about earlier how at the for the in the world in 2022 They played two really low intensity games and friendlies beforehand and then rose to the occasion at the World Cup and played at high intensity in all of their World Cup games. And then maybe that was the reason they were so darn tired against the Netherlands, frankly, because they were playing the same team every game. um I think the the worry here is that.
00:53:26
Speaker
you assume that the intensity is gonna come when a tournament comes, and then you step into AT and&T Stadium and there's 10,000 people there, and it's just like you can't get up for that. I think i think that's a real, I don't know if it's a worry, but like that's there's that's a real possibility, I think. They're in a situation, Henry, where those first two group stage matches are not going to feel like a major tournament necessarily. Exactly, exactly. Yeah, it's gonna feel like I mean, there are going to be like the the crowds that those games are going to be significant let downs from what they've had. They've had in these friendlies. It's interesting. it's ah It's an interesting point a bit when you think about the the idea of intensity and and in the US and and having to manufacture it. and And that can be difficult in these types of games, right?
00:54:15
Speaker
100%. And that's always been an issue for this team, I think, is that their players feed off big moments and struggle sometimes when that's not there. We've all just been saying that. So like, yeah, if things could go wrong before they get to the biggest moments, I don't think that this team will show up against Uruguay or Columbia or Brazil. and not have the intensity, but in games not like that, that could be the issue. And also like the the slow like possession-based style that they're probably going to you know be, that that that the game state is going to lead into playing in those games, kind of feeds into that that low and you know intensity problems, right? but Just because the you know you're not getting and stuck into duels every 30 seconds.
00:55:03
Speaker
Yeah, totally. and That's the way Bolivia and Panama are going to play them. like That's just how it is. And it can be hard to to bring that the attention to detail to Greg's positional passing ah to beat those kinds of teams. All right, guys. We've gone on for nearly an hour. You can't do an hour long podcast and not end it with some sort of predictions.
Predictions and Expectations
00:55:25
Speaker
So I'm going to ask the question this way, Henry. Firstly, Do you expect anything other than the bell curve expected a result for the US men's national team? And secondly, if they over or underachieve, which do you think is more likely?
00:55:44
Speaker
I think the my expectation is definitely the bell curve. And I think the overachieving is more likely. I think it's more likely that they get to a semifinal than crash out in the group. Do you agree, Matt? Yeah, it's a little boring, but I'm with you that they're going to get to that game in the quarterfinal. And as we say all the time, anything can happen in one game. It'll probably be close. And we'll probably be sitting there going, hey, there might have been two or three plays in the US s in the semifinal. And maybe it's more likely, I think, that we say, hey, two or three plays went well. This team is in the semifinal. And then you're playing for more than that. So I'm with you. I just feel that way. and
00:56:27
Speaker
You know, we're saying, we were just saying a minute ago what the worst case scenario would be, but I just think that the way this team is wired, it might it might not be perfect, but I just can't see them not getting to that quarterfinal, um the lower end of the bell curve. And it's it's just, it's tough. Sorry, go ahead, Austin. No, so I would just add to that, that we've had this conversation now pretty much what? So this was the conversation ahead of 2010 ahead of 2014 not ahead of 2018 ahead of you know 2016 when the US actually made a semi-final had an easier quarterfinal at that point ahead of the 2022 World Cup at some point Law of averages is gonna say that they're gonna get some bounces, right? If they have played the exact same match for five or six straight major tournaments at some point Maybe they'll get a bounce or two and they'll end up in the semi-finals and maybe that is The difference that we're all looking for here
00:57:26
Speaker
Chris Wandalowski. And Henry mentioned the ink, like, yeah, 100%. That's the way this stuff goes. Yep, totally agree. Yeah, no, it's going to happen at some point. The question is just win. And then and then and then the question is, like is the team good enough to do something with that? 100%. More than just get one lucky. you know A lot of teams have gotten one lucky bounce in ah in a first knockout round game. and then lost in the next round and then gone back to the, you know, gone back to square one, then at the you know, the next cycle or whatever. Totally. So that's, yeah, that's where we're at. Thank you so much, Henry, for for joining us. it was It was a pleasure as always. What do you have planned for the Copa America? what can we What can we look for from you?
00:58:11
Speaker
I can just, I try to tweet out most of my stories. We, you know, we've got various, um some of the preview articles are actually already up um because I'm ah in less than 48 hours. I'm headed off to cover some Olympic trials, Olympic swimming. um Busy man, man. Busy man. Yeah. but anyone on ah Lucas oil. Lucas oil stadium. Wow. Yeah. Indianapolis in June. it will be a It will be an interesting comparison between how cavernously empty that stadium feels versus Dairy World a few days later. in ah you know so yeah I'll be on the road for most of the US games during Copa America. I'll be back to that by the time the tournament starts.
00:58:53
Speaker
and Yeah. What you can expect from me is we'll depend on how everything goes. Well, we will certainly look forward to that. Um, thanks to you as always a minute. Again, this is the world cup after dark podcast. If you do like what we do, we would greatly appreciate if you rate review up vote, any other thing you can do to tell us that you like what we do. And also. If you are interested in supporting what we do directly, you can find us patreon dot.com slash WCAD. $3 a month and you get access to Patreon exclusive episodes like our Euro 24 preview, like our Conable focused Copa America preview coming next week. And you are the best equipped you can possibly be for World Cup qualifiers with access.
00:59:35
Speaker
to the patent pending master qualifying sheet that tells you how and where to watch every qualification game going. Henry, I don't know how much you spend on coffee, but $3 a month, that's less than a coffee, right? I don't actually, I actually don't drink coffee at all, so. $3 a month is less, it's less than whatever you do drink, right? Yes, exactly. Help me out here. Give me a bone. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I am spending the money that I don't spend on coffee on World Cup After Dark. i I know that you do drink the coffee, and $3 a month is is definitely less than what you spend on your coffee. I saw that first person. It's got to have ice in it. Got to have the ice coffee. Listen, as said before, we're we're on the Costco cold brew grind. We're saving up.
01:00:20
Speaker
Alright, that's all folks. It's less than my fiancé spends on a bagel every Saturday at the farmer's market. There we go, there we go. How about that comparison? Yeah, beautiful one but one bagel gets you gets his direct support of the World Cup After Dark podcast. That's exactly what you're looking for. All right, that's all from us on this edition. We will be back next week, as we said, with more Copo America preview stuff. You can check out our UEFA Euro preview. That is patron-only subscribers. You can check out our World Cup qualifying recap, which dropped as well. So plenty of content, and we will be with you throughout Copo America and Euro. We are very excited for a summer of major tournament soccer. Thanks as always for listening. We'll be back soon.