🎙️ Call It What You Want (CBS Sports Golazo) •September 24, 2026 •⏱️ 57 min

What To Expect From Los Incas, George Campbell Talks USMNT Return, More! | USA vs. Peru Preview & Predictions (Soccer 9/24)

1. Executive Overview: Core Theses & Key Revelations

The dawn of a new World Cup cycle presents a rare window of operational reset for any elite national team program, but for the United States Men's National Team (USMNT), the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino marks a fundamental shift in technical discipline and institutional expectations. On this milestone episode of CBS Sports Golazo's Call It What You Want, hosts Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies, and Tony Meola, alongside West Bromwich Albion central defender George Campbell, conducted an exhaustive tactical and administrative audit of the program on the eve of the USMNT's international fixture against Peru in Orlando. Beyond standard match previewing, the discussion illuminated four pivotal core theses that define the immediate future of American soccer as the federation prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

First, the panel examined an administrative milestone: Vice President of Sporting Affairs Oguchi Onyewu's decision to structurally overhaul the traditional "January Camp." By shifting this domestic window to mid-December—headquartered at U.S. Soccer's new National Training Center in Atlanta—the federation has aligned domestic player evaluation with the natural conclusion of the Major League Soccer (MLS) postseason. This recalibration eliminates the awkward month-long holiday layoff that historically left domestic talent out of rhythm, while simultaneously mitigating friction with club preseason preparation. The move establishes a high-touch environment for domestic players to internalize Pochettino’s tactical principles long before major international windows.

Second, the tactical preview of Peru ("Los Incas") established a decisive paradigm: this fixture must serve as a mandatory benchmark of American positional dominance rather than a reactive exercise. Under newly appointed manager Mano Menezes—Peru’s sixth head coach since their tragic 2022 World Cup playoff elimination to Australia—the South American side remains mired in structural transition. Facing a squad that has struggled to establish an identity, the USMNT is tasked with controlling tempo, dictating half-space penetration, and converting dominance into a decisive three- or four-goal victory.

Third, the episode provided a masterclass on central defensive mechanics and leadership development. Through George Campbell’s candid detailing of his baptism in the EFL Championship with West Bromwich Albion, paired with Tony Meola’s historical reflections on Bruce Arena’s backline organization, the panel delineated the precise psychological and vocal attributes required of modern center-backs. The concept of defensive "aura"—the ability to command space, organize midfield pivots, and reduce lateral running through anticipatory communication—emerged as a vital metric for players striving to break into Pochettino’s core squad.

Finally, the hosts engaged in a fierce debate regarding roster construction philosophy. Evaluating the tension between veteran continuity and rapid youth acceleration, Conrad, Davies, and Meola offered distinct visions for the 3-4-2-1 tactical shape. While Meola and Davies argued that Pochettino will lean heavily on established figures like Miles Robinson, Chris Richards, and Antonee Robinson to establish foundational principles, Conrad and Davies made compelling cases for inserting raw talent—such as Neil Pierre, Peyton Miller, Kevin Sullivan, and Julian Hall—into every line of the pitch to test their ceiling under high-pressure international conditions.

2. Context & Background: The Landscape Leading to This Conversation

To fully understand the gravity of the technical discourse on Call It What You Want, one must examine the macro-environmental landscape surrounding U.S. Soccer in late 2024. Mauricio Pochettino took the reins of the national team following a turbulent summer that highlighted systemic deficiencies in squad depth, tactical adaptability, and game management against South American opponents. With approximately 18 months of player pool observation and domestic evaluation under his belt, Pochettino’s formal debut window represents the inaugural phase of a high-stakes, hyper-condensed World Cup cycle.

Historically, the USMNT player pool has operated under a bifurcated calendar. European-based stars undergo rigorous competition from August through May, arriving at FIFA windows in peak physical condition but often suffering from fatigue. Conversely, domestic MLS players have historically faced an extended offseason from November through late January. To bridge this gap, U.S. Soccer historically instituted the "January Camp"—a month-long domestic gathering designed to evaluate fringe talent and keep domestic players fit. However, the traditional January window suffered from severe structural flaws: players arrived out of match fitness, and the camp directly overlapped with MLS club preseason training, creating operational friction between national team staff and club managers.

Oguchi Onyewu’s intervention as Vice President of Sporting Affairs directly addresses these calendar imbalances. By officially repositioning the winter window to December 13th at the Atlanta National Training Center, U.S. Soccer has harmonized national team training with player recovery cycles immediately following the MLS Cup. Domestic players now transition straight from competitive postseason rhythm into Pochettino’s tactical classroom without an intervening period of physical de-conditioning. Furthermore, this timing permits Steve Cherundolo’s U-23 Olympic program to integrate seamlessly with senior team scouting, establishing a unified pipeline for emerging domestic talent.

Simultaneously, the choice of opponent in Peru highlights the competitive context of CONCACAF-CONMEBOL cross-confederation tune-ups. Los Incas are enduring one of the most fraught rebuilding phases in their modern history. Following their agonizing penalty shoot-out defeat to Australia in the 2022 Intercontinental Playoff, Peruvian football descended into managerial instability, burning through five head coaches before appointing veteran Brazilian strategist Mano Menezes. Menezes, who famously helmed Brazil from 2010 to 2012 (initiating his tenure with a 2-0 victory over the USMNT at MetLife Stadium), brings pragmatism and defensive organization. Yet with a mixed four-game opening ledger (a loss to Senegal, a draw with Honduras, a victory over Haiti, and a 3-1 defeat to Spain), Peru enters Orlando as a fragile opponent struggling to generate consistent attacking output.

It is within this dual landscape—administrative innovation at home and opponent structural vulnerability abroad—that individual player narratives come to the fore. Central defenders like George Campbell, thriving in the physical cauldron of the English Football League Championship, represent the exact profile of player seeking to validate their development. Campbell’s evolution at West Bromwich Albion encapsulates the broader ambition of American defenders seeking to displace established domestic options through European trial-by-fire, making this technical preview an essential marker for the 2026 World Cup trajectory.

3. Deep-Dive Thematic Breakdown

3.1 Restructuring the Domestic Window: Oguchi Onyewu's Calendar Shift

The structural evolution of U.S. Soccer's winter training framework represents one of the most consequential administrative shifts in recent national team history. For decades, the January Camp served as an iconic yet flawed institution within the domestic soccer ecosystem. While it launched the international careers of figures like Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Charlie Davies, its placement in late January created acute physical stress. Domestic players, having rested for six to eight weeks post-MLS season, were thrust into double-session conditioning blocks, frequently leading to soft-tissue injuries or leaving them depleted when returning to their parent clubs for preseason.

Oguchi Onyewu’s structural redesign solves this physical paradox by leveraging the newly constructed Atlanta National Training Center. Transitioning the camp to mid-December—culminating in a December 13th friendly outside the official FIFA window—captures domestic talent at the exact tail end of their competitive rhythm. As Charlie Davies highlighted, this window provides an invaluable stepping stone for domestic talent to decode Pochettino’s rigorous demands. Davies noted that for players in leagues operating on a calendar season (such as MLS or Scandinavian competitions), rolling directly from club competition into national team training eliminates the physical lag, allowing coaching staffs to evaluate players at their absolute peak performance ceiling.

Tactically, this calendar adjustment serves a dual purpose. It allows Pochettino’s staff to conduct deep, unhurried pedagogical work on pressing structures, spatial awareness, and build-up mechanics that are impossible to execute during condensed five-day FIFA international breaks. Furthermore, it creates a dedicated arena to evaluate the fringe domestic pool against U-23 Olympic hopefuls. The panel debated whether mature domestic goalscorers—such as Brian White, who posted 16 goals for the Vancouver Whitecaps—should still command roster spots in such camps. While Tony Meola emphasized that experienced domestic leaders are necessary to set cultural standards and maintain training intensity for younger teammates, Conrad and Davies argued that the December window must primarily function as a crucible for high-ceiling U-23 prospects aiming to transition from step "1B" (domestic prominence) to step "1A" (elite international selection).

3.2 Scouting Los Incas: Tactical Instability and Peru's Rebuilding Phase

From an analytical standpoint, assessing Peru under Mano Menezes requires looking past traditional South American football stereotypes. Historically known for technical possession, fluid interior rotations, and battle-hardened defensive resilience, the contemporary Peruvian national team is suffering from an acute generational gap and tactical disorientation. Having cycled through six managers since failing to reach Qatar 2022, Los Incas lack cohesive positional patterns and structural balance in transition.

Mano Menezes’ appointment represents an attempt by the Peruvian Football Federation to inject pragmatic, low-block stability. Menezes favors a compact mid-to-low block designed to deny central passing lanes and force opponents into low-probability wide crosses. However, Peru's recent metrics expose severe vulnerabilities. In their 3-1 defeat against Spain and their draw against Honduras, Menezes’ defensive line exhibited sluggish lateral recovery speeds and severe disorganization when confronted with rapid vertical combinations in the half-spaces. Their reliance on aging squad pillars has left them susceptible to high-intensity counter-pressing.

For the USMNT, this tactical reality dictates a clear mandate. As Charlie Davies forcefully articulated, the objective in Orlando is not to reactively adapt to Peru’s structure, but to relentlessly impose American terms. The USMNT must utilize dynamic wingback overlaps, quick third-man runs through the central channels, and high-intensity rest defense to lock Peru into their defensive third. Winning by three or four goals is not merely an optimistic prediction; it represents the minimum analytical threshold for a team with genuine knockout-stage ambitions at a World Cup. Anything less would signal an inability to break down compact, lower-tier opposition under Pochettino’s tactical framework.

3.3 Defensive Aura and the West Brom Crucible: George Campbell's Case

The inclusion of West Bromwich Albion central defender George Campbell on the broadcast provided a rare, unvarnished look into the psychological and physical transformation required to excel in European club football. At 25 years of age, Campbell has established himself as a physical anchor in the EFL Championship—a league widely regarded by sports scientists as the most physically grueling domestic competition in global football due to match volume, aerial frequency, and high-impact duels.

Campbell’s insights into defensive execution centered on the concept of central defensive "aura." In modern football, technical competence on the ball is merely a prerequisite; elite center-backs are distinguished by their spatial dominance and psychological authority over opposition attackers. Campbell highlighted how the relentless nature of the Championship—where balls are continuously launched into the penalty area and central defenders must battle aggressive, physical center-forwards—forces a defender to develop absolute aerial command and box-defending resilience. Facing "nasty" strikers who test a defender's physical threshold accelerates decision-making under stress.

Furthermore, Campbell detailed the leadership evolution required to transition from a promising prospect to a backline commander. In a modern three-back or two-back system, a center-back must radiate composure that calms the entire defensive block. Campbell emphasized that whether playing for West Bromwich Albion or pushing for a USMNT return, a defender must project visible, unmistakable leadership—a presence that signals to teammates and opponents alike that the central channel is entirely secured. This development pathway directly matches Pochettino's requirement for central defenders who possess the bravery to defend in wide-open spaces while commanding their penalty box during set-piece defense.

3.4 Organizing the Back Line: Meola's Blueprint for Verbal Command

Building directly upon Campbell's discussion of defensive leadership, former USMNT goalkeeper Tony Meola delivered an analytical masterclass on the mechanics of backline organization and vocal direction. Drawing from his extensive international career under managers like Bruce Arena and Bora Milutinović, Meola dismantled the misconception that vocal defenders simply shout encouragement; rather, effective communication is a precise tactical tool designed to dictate energy expenditure and spatial coverage across the pitch.

Meola recounted his early international integration, explaining how Bruce Arena explicitly tasked the central defenders and goalkeeper with driving the team’s pressing triggers. In Arena's system, if the team was to compress space and press high up the pitch, the directive had to originate from the center-backs. For a young defender, communicating directives to established international legends—such as Claudio Reyna, Pablo Mastroeni, John O'Brien, or Chris Armas—required overcoming psychological barriers and earning immediate trust through tactical accuracy.

The core of Meola’s blueprint relies on a fundamental principle: the more effectively a center-back organizes players in front of them, the less physical running those players are forced to execute. By constantly adjusting the positioning of defensive midfielders, identifying blind-side runs, and providing precise verbal instruction ("step up," "shift left," "drop two yards"), a central defender eliminates emergency recovery sprints. Meola also emphasized the critical technical habits required inside the box: checking shoulders constantly, maintaining double-vision (tracking both the ball handler and the attacker's run), and executing flawless decision-making under physical pressure. This vocal authority is precisely what Pochettino demands from his central defensive spine to execute a high line with minimal risk.

3.5 Tactical Lineup Architecture: Experience versus Youthful Integration

The focal point of the episode’s final segment was an in-depth debate over tactical formation and starting XI selection for the Peru fixture. The panel universally aligned on a 3-4-2-1 base formation—a structure that provides structural flexibility, allowing wingbacks to push high into the attacking line while maintaining a three-player rest defense structure to neutralize counter-attacks.

However, significant analytical divergence emerged regarding the balance between veteran continuity and aggressive youth integration. The three hosts presented distinct selection philosophies, illustrated in the comparison table below:

Position Tony Meola's XI (Pragmatic Core) Jimmy Conrad's XI (Line-by-Line Mix) Charlie Davies' Ideal XI (Youth Acceleration)
Goalkeeper Matt Freese Matt Freese Diego Kochen
Left Center-Back Austin Trusty Neil Pierre Neil Pierre
Central Center-Back Chris Richards Chris Richards Chris Richards
Right Center-Back Alex Freeman Alex Freeman Alex Freeman
Left Wingback Antonee Robinson Antonee Robinson Peyton Miller
Right Wingback Sergiño Dest Sergiño Dest Sergiño Dest
Central Midfield Tyler Adams & Sebastian Berhalter Tyler Adams & Mett / Mimetti Tyler Adams & Sebastian Berhalter
Attacking Midfield / 10s Gio Reyna & Malik Tillman Gio Reyna & Malik Tillman Kevin Sullivan & Malik Tillman
Center Forward Julian Hall Julian Hall Julian Hall

Tony Meola advocated for a pragmatic approach, arguing that Pochettino’s primary objective in his debut window is to establish structural stability and winning habits. Meola selected Matt Freese in goal, anchored by Chris Richards alongside Austin Trusty and Alex Freeman. By placing experienced fullbacks Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest in high wingback roles, supported by a double-pivot of Tyler Adams and Sebastian Berhalter, Meola sought to provide a secure platform for Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman to operate in the half-spaces behind young striker Julian Hall.

Jimmy Conrad presented a hybrid philosophy predicated on the rule of inserting "a new face in every line of the field." Conrad introduced 17-year-old Philadelphia Union central defender Neil Pierre off the left shoulder of Chris Richards, arguing that pairing an elite prospect between Richards, Antonee Robinson, and Tyler Adams provides the ultimate safety net for international assessment. Conrad also introduced young midfield talent into the pivot alongside Adams while retaining experienced creative hubs in Reyna and Tillman.

Charlie Davies drew a sharp distinction between what he expects Pochettino to do and what he would ideally like to see. While acknowledging that Pochettino will likely deploy experienced center-backs like Miles Robinson, Davies put forward a bold "ideal" XI featuring Diego Kochen in goal, Neil Pierre and Alex Freeman in the backline, Peyton Miller at left wingback, and Kevin Sullivan operating alongside Tillman in advanced playmaker roles. Davies argued that against a weak Peruvian team, the coaching staff loses nothing by throwing young prospects into a "sink or swim" environment, enabling U.S. Soccer to benchmark their development three years ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

4. Speaker Perspectives & Analytical Contrast

The editorial strength of Call It What You Want stems from the distinct analytical lenses brought by its hosts and guests. Each participant reflects a unique era, position, and philosophical posture within American soccer, creating a rich multi-dimensional debate.

Jimmy Conrad (The Tactical Pragmatist & Facilitator): Conrad approaches match analysis through the eyes of an international defender who had to maximize every ounce of positional intelligence to earn 28 caps and a 2006 World Cup roster spot. Conrad consistently seeks structural balance. His insistence on placing "one new face in every line" reflects a deliberate methodology: testing young talent without destroying the collective structural integrity of the team. Conrad acts as the pragmatic middle ground between Davies’ radical youth stance and Meola’s conservative realism.

Charlie Davies (The High-Intensity Standards Bearer): Davies evaluates the program through the demanding lens of an elite international striker whose career was defined by explosive athleticism and relentless verticality. Unapologetic in his demands, Davies refuses to accept mediocrity or timid performances against inferior opposition. His prediction of a 3-0 or 4-0 victory over Peru sets an uncompromising standard. Davies views international friendlies not as comfortable exhibitions, but as high-stakes stress tests where young players must immediately prove whether they belong at step "1A."

Tony Meola (The Organizational Realist): As a Hall of Fame goalkeeper with 100 international caps across three World Cup squads, Meola brings deep institutional memory and backline realism. Meola prioritizes defensive communication, organizational trust, and veteran stability. He understands that international managers rarely gamble with unproven youth en masse during debut windows. Meola’s analysis constantly anchors the discussion in professional realities, reminding viewers that senior leaders are essential to maintain standards and protect young players from premature exposure.

George Campbell (The Rising Professional): Campbell provides the essential current-player perspective, bridging the gap between domestic ambition and European reality. His commentary is characterized by humility, self-awareness, and technical focus. Campbell does not speak in hyperbole; instead, he details the concrete daily grind of defending crosses, managing physical center-forwards, and projecting command. His contribution grounds the hosts' theoretical debates in the physical realities of modern European club football.

5. Strategic & Industry Implications

The strategic insights extracted from this episode extend far beyond a single international preview against Peru; they signal systemic shifts across the entire U.S. Soccer apparatus leading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

First, Oguchi Onyewu’s reorganization of the domestic winter window represents a fundamental modernization of player development pathways. By creating a synchronized December bridge between MLS play and senior team instruction at the Atlanta National Training Center, U.S. Soccer has established an efficient domestic pipeline. MLS clubs no longer need to view national team call-ups as a threat to their preseason preparation; instead, the December window acts as an accelerated elite development module that enhances domestic player value while aligning technical concepts directly with Pochettino's masterplan.

Second, the tactical requirements outlined for central defenders reflect a broader evolution in global tactical trends. Pochettino’s tactical framework demands center-backs who possess a rare dual-profile: the technical capability to break lines and dictate build-up play, combined with the physical dominance to win isolated 1v1 duels in expansive space. George Campbell’s development path at West Bromwich Albion underscores the growing reality that American central defenders must seek high-intensity European environments to master box defending and aerial duels if they hope to displace established figures like Miles Robinson or Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Third, the broadcast highlights the evolving role of media in shaping national team accountability. Shows like Call It What You Want on CBS Sports Golazo provide a critical bridge between formal federation communications and public tactical understanding. By dissecting line-by-line starting XIs, debating vocal command mechanics, and establishing concrete performance benchmarks (such as a 3-0 or 4-0 target against Peru), former players are elevating the analytical literacy of the American soccer public, creating an environment of transparent accountability for players and coaching staff alike.

6. Looking Ahead: Unresolved Questions & Next Milestones

As Mauricio Pochettino officially embarks on his first full cycle with the USMNT, several critical analytical questions and operational milestones remain on the immediate horizon.

The primary tactical milestone will be observing how the USMNT executes positional dominance against Peru in Orlando. Analysts will closely track key performance indicators beyond the final scoreline: half-space entry frequency, rest defense structure during transition moments, defensive aerial duel win percentages, and the vocal organization of the backline. A dominant performance characterized by controlled tempo and high-margin conversion will validate the initial phases of Pochettino’s installation.

A secondary unresolved question surrounds the composition and execution of the inaugural December domestic camp in Atlanta. With players involved in the MLS Cup Final unavailable for selection, Pochettino and his staff must finalized a roster that precisely balances domestic fringe candidates like Brian White with elite U-23 prospects like Neil Pierre, Peyton Miller, and Kevin Sullivan. How efficiently this group internalizes Pochettino’s tactical principles during their December 13th home friendly will set the benchmark for domestic integration heading into 2025.

Finally, the central defender hierarchy remains highly fluid. As George Campbell continues his captaincy-caliber campaign at West Bromwich Albion, his progress will serve as a bellwether for other American defenders striving to make the leap from candidate status to core starter. With veterans like Miles Robinson facing mounting pressure from younger, European-tested options, Pochettino’s upcoming squad selections will reveal whether tactical experience or physical ceiling takes precedence as the USMNT builds toward 2026.

💬 Key Quotes & Speaker Breakdown

USA vs. Peru prediction

"I think it's going to be one of those games where we win three or four nil, to be honest. I just hope that the veteran guys in the team make sure that the younger players who come in understand what it's like at the international game."

— Charlie Davies

Mauricio Pochettino

"I do think there's a lot of value in him [Pochettino] being able to know what we're about. He's had 18 months, almost two years now of knowing what our player pool looks like, how soccer works in this country, the type of player profiles that he wants."

— Jimmy Conrad

USMNT training camp

"The January camp is back, everybody. And apparently, U.S. soccer has previously announced the January camps to be moved to December. It's going to be an MLS-heavy one."

— Jimmy Conrad

"I think this is so helpful for a lot of those players to get a chance to understand what Pochettino wants from them, also to kind of see the level. This is step one B, what do I need to make one A?"

— Charlie Davies

USMNT starting lineup

"I think Pochettino will go with experience as well. I think he's going to go with Miles Robinson in the left center back position."

— Tony Meola

"I wanted a new face in every line of the field, mixing with the older guys. I got Neil Pierre off the left shoulder of Chris Richards who's in the middle, and Freeman on the right."

— Jimmy Conrad

USMNT player mentality

"I think there's a level of command and just aura, as a center back, you need to have around you. When you're watching a West Brom game or wherever I am, let's say two, three years, you need to be able to see a leader."

— George Campbell

Player development

"I think one of the things you just said, I think every game the ball is coming to the box, like constantly. So I think defending crosses, dealing with bigger strikers or even just more aggressive strikers, those nasty players who really get into your game, that really helps a center back grow."

— George Campbell
📜 View Full Episode Verbatim Transcript 60,983 characters
Hi, hello, and welcome to your favorite Average You Good podcast called which you want Jimmy Conrad alongside Charlie Davies and Tony Miola, and we have a pretty Average You Good Show for you right now. Pochettino, he's going to kick off his first full cycle in charge of the U.S. Men's National Team against Peru. So we're going to lift the hood a little bit and take a closer look at the Peruvians. And then we're going to welcome West Broms, Captain, 25-year-old George Campbell to the show as he looks to make his case to be a part of the U.S. Men's National Team's back line. Then we make our own cases for who we think we should start against Peru in Orlando. But first, the January camp is back, everybody. Yes, it is back. And apparently, U.S. soccer has previously announced the January camps to be moved to December. So it's going to be an MLS heavy one from what we understand, the business end of the postseason. So that's interesting. I actually think it's good not to have a break to just roll right into it, but we can get into that a little bit. Chuck, great to see you as always. You got quite the outfit on today for those people that are just listening. It doesn't match. His hat doesn't match as Jersey, but we're going to allow it anyway, I think, big tones. Yeah, that's an interesting color way, if you will. I'm here for interesting. That's why that's why I threw this out. What is it, Chuck? I can't even see. What is it? You don't know what the brand is. Yeah, it's tough to read the brand. There you go. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Just like a NASCAR driver. You have like 50 brands on your own. You're walking billboard. That's how. All right. So let's talk about this January slash December camp now. A Gucci and Yewoo came out and actually said December offers more balanced window that minimizes conflicts with preseason preparation. And aligns more effectively with player recovery cycles and continues to provide our national team. Coaches a valuable opportunity to assess and integrate domestic based talent. And there's a lot of common sense attached to what Gucci is saying there, Chuck. Are you happy to see that this January camp is still going to exist? Because I think it is a big opportunity to maybe see guys outside of just watching them play for their clubs. You get to bring them into the fold and see what they're made of. One, Gucci always has great ideas. So I love it. Gucci is leading that initiative as a former US men's national team player at US soccer. So one, I think this is so helpful for a lot of those players to get a chance to understand what Puchatino wants from them also to kind of see the level. What's the next step? This is, okay, step one B, what do I need to make one A? And so this camp is really helpful for the young players. By the way, I was in Scandinavia and so we have the same schedule as MLS, which allowed me to participate in January camp. So I found that to be extremely helpful because you're around the coaching staff every day. And you understand kind of what they expect in the demands. At the same time, you're building bonds with your US men's national team mate. So I think it's a no-brainer. Yeah, I'm a huge January camp fan. I've talked about it before on the show. I just think it's an opportunity to see guys in a different environment. And obviously, if you're a coach, you get to see it with your own eye test, right? You get to see the subtleties and nuances of how they play in different situations, decision-making that they're making. You know, for instance, like how do they pressure the ball or how do they help cover a teammate? It's just a little bit harder to pick up on TV, but to be able to see it and put them in those types of training environments, I think is important. And obviously, hopefully you have a game or behind closed door game that you can evaluate them even further. I guess my fear, though, is this might turn into a U23 camp, which is okay, I guess, because we got the Olympics looming here, big tones. But is there room you think for a Brian White who's, I know he's 30, but he's got 16 goals so far in MLS. He's currently third in the league. Or do we just kind of have to move on from that? Wait, are you saying for a January camp or for just in general, like right now? Yeah, yeah, just for this, no, no, no, just for like this December camp. Or if you already know what he's about, is this, I mean, are we just trying to identify young players or is it you feel like there's room for some, well, maybe Brian White's not the best example. Well, well, well, January camps in the past have had older players. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So if you're looking at January camp, it's, yeah, it's a mix of young up and coming talent. But there was also players who came in that were experienced that weren't ever going to be a team, national team guys, but they were good enough to set the tone, set, set the expectations for the group, you know, because a lot of the young players in January camp are, you know, one, two years professionally. So they don't have a number of the things that they have to understand for longevity and consistency. And so it's great to have older players come in and also be a part of the program. Yeah, I think the, the, the spirit of your question though, right, was more Brian White not being one of those older players, right, being a guy that's like a fringe player, if you will, right? And if he fits, I don't know, it depends where he is in the, in the league, right? And where does he fit in sort of in today's number nine? I guess he moves up a little bit because a couple of injuries there, but with regards to thinking about a World Cup, I don't know where he fits in. I'm guessing that this would be another opportunity with the important job that Steve Toronto has with the Olympics to see more of those guys. And then you might sprinkle, I don't know, they're, they're going to have overage players in that, right? So you might sprinkle a couple of those guys in that are potential for that because maybe the personalities, and I guess we can't call it a January camp anymore, right? It's December. And I wonder what the MLS schedule, right, with the spring season coming up after that has to do with moving it a little bit. But now we've got this training facility, which is set up for things like this, which is set up to, to be able to host at any time. And I think it's good, especially more so for the young players, right? Because there is a longer break in MLS, although this one shortens a little bit. So get them, get them moving and get, you know, not only seeing them, but them understanding the principles of what Marisha Pochettino is going to try and do. We talk about that all, you touched on it, Jimmy, we talk about that. And then you, you leave and you think about that. And how does that fit into what you're doing at the club and all that stuff? So yeah, I mean, I have no problem with it at all. Okay. So, so according to one of our friends, Stephen Goffey tweeted out the US will conduct an MLS heavy winter camp at Atlanta's National Training Center in December, not January, culminating with a December 13th home-friendly outside of FIFA Windows, opponent and venue to be announced. Players involved in conference finals and MLS Cup won't be available for selection. So that will, or could impact some of the players that we'd like to see. I guess now it kind of gets into maybe some of those players who didn't get into this camp, some of the younger ones, but maybe have an opportunity to, if they had a good season in MLS, to get a little love and attention from Marisa Pochettino and his coaching staff. All right, let's get into Peru's scouting reports. It's hard to predict ultimately what they're going to go with, because apparently their new boss is going through a similar growing, and listen, this is their sixth manager since they failed to reach the 2022 World Cup. So they are a little bit all over the place. And that one, they lost Australia and penalties in the international intercontinental playoff. So that was a little bit heartbreaking for them. And so they have a new guy now, Mano Menesez, Menesez. I'm trying to say that right, and I'm absolutely butchering it and I apologize. He's from Brazil, yet checks making fun of me. He actually coached Brazil from 2010 to 2012. He had them after the 2010 World Cup, and he had the Olympics in 2012, from 2010, excuse me, into 2012. His first game with Brazil was a friendly versus the US men's national team, which was a 2-0 win at MetLife in August 2010. Interesting. I actually wanted to get called in. We all wanted to get called into those types of games we put against Brazil. That was named our senior debut. He's got a little history there. He's got four games so far with Peru. One win, two losses, one draw, lost to Senegal, Tide Honduras, and in the lead up to the World Cup in 2026, beat Haiti, and lost to Spain 3-1 in June and another tune up there. We are 3-2 and 2 all time against Peru, but we haven't played them since October 28th. And Jedi Robinson's the only US player to currently in camp who was involved in that game. He was a 90th minute substitute in a 1-1 draw in Connecticut. So Chuck, names, no names. We just got an opponent in front of us who haven't qualified for the World Cup in the last two cycles. What do we want to get out of it? No one we're going to go against some guys who are also hungry to prove that they need to be on their national team. Well, one thing I would say is this is not about Peru or any individual on Peru that you're saying, okay, we got to be mindful, we got to change the game, or we have to, you know, they're going to expect to dictate the tempo. This is a game where we got to play on our terms, bottom line. And Mono Manesis, the coach for Peru, is just looking for guys who can fight, who can grind, who can show that they have potential to be in the running for World Cup qualifiers because this is not a good team. This is one of the weakest teams in South America. So I think for our guys, it's put on a show. I expect some of the youngsters to be a little too eager. Well, like any young national team guy getting an opportunity to say, hey, let me show what I can do and wear a better team. I remember my first cap was against China. You know, the expectation was I go out and do your thing. We won four nil, I believe. So I think it's going to be one of those games where we win three or four nil, to be honest. And so I just hope that we, we, the veteran guys in the team, make sure that the younger players who come in understand what it's like at the international game and how it's going to be a fight and, and they got to finish their chances. And almost simple is more at the, in the early stages. Right. And then how about you, Talon? I mean, obviously, you want to be respectful of Peru, but this, I don't know, this feels really cliche. It's more about us at this point. Yeah. And, but if you're Peru, you're saying the same thing, right? You're looking at the other side and you're like, they got a young roster. We got a, Peru's got to worry about them, right? And Manesco says to do what's right for their club. They're, they're not going to look across and go, oh, I'm worried about this guy that's not that time of the year for them. And I think their schedule is, they're, well, they're here in ConquerCaf. So they play Mexico after that. They're, they're in Canada and Montreal. And then they play Colombia down in Miami. That should be an interesting one. So I, I would think everything is leading up just like we are. Just to see some growth and, and building a little bit, I mean, there's no guessing a starting lineup for Peru right now. Like we've just, not even for, for us, it's tough, right? I mean, growing, you know what, against the wall right now with what these managers are going to do. We'll get into ours in a little bit and why our reasoning is for these players. But yeah, I would think for us, it's a good opponent. There'll be some good players. They're in a different part of their cycle. It's not a great team like Chuck said, but I don't think we, in no way, should we overlook this, you know what, with all these young guys, there's no way in hell, man, any of them are overlooking any of this, right? We'll talk to George Campbell here in a little bit and probably get a sense from him of what it, what it looks like for, from his lens, you know, a guy who hasn't been in a national team for a while and these, all these new guys, like, when it was your first game, did you care who it was? Like, no, I just want to be like, I'm playing, I'm playing with the top guys. I'm getting them to share the pitch with, with Clay and Landon and Bees and Gooch and Tim Hauer. I'm like, this is, these are my heroes. Like, let's go know who the opponent was. Up until, like, the time you got to the stadium, you're like, no, I'm just training, bro. Not a single player. Maybe the one player that was playing at Man United, you know, the one Chinese player, Dong that was playing at Manchester United, there's the only guy that I knew, but I could care less. So, yeah, I, I would be with all these guys just being like, I can't wait to lace them up and play with these guys that just watched in the World Cup. Yeah, for me, my first, my first cap was Cuba. It was in Seattle in the Gold Cup, our opener in 2005. And we thought the Bruce Serena was going to kind of roll out his first top guys, right? Just because we wanted to dunk on our first opponent and set the tone. And he kind of rolled out a, a, a second team, me and Clint Dempsey got our first caps together, which was pretty cool. And so when we went down one zero, I was like, oh my God, we're going to lose the Cuba in my first ever cap. You know, we ended up coming back and winning three or four one. But I actually think in some capacity it was, it was nice to have an opponent that was manageable. I put air quotes around that manageable, right? Because if you got thrown out there against a Germany or a Spain or Brazil, yes, it would have been nice to test yourself against the very best. But I do think there is something very healthy about kind of working your way towards an opponent like that as opposed to getting thrown into the fire. Oh, listen, we talk about sinking or swimming all the time. But I, but I look back on that first cap going, that was nice. It was a nice kind of kind of gateway drug and to understanding what it takes to be competitive here with the national team. Oh, by the way, we whooped Paraguay in the World Cup. They know where we're a strong team. You know, it's not like they're coming and going, oh, they know the US is up there. If you're talking about common bowl opponents, they're going, man, Paraguay was was pretty tough to beat and they smacked them in a World Cup. And look at how Paraguay got out of the group. And they got into the knockout rounds and surprised Germany. So for this Peru side, they're going to go, this is a team that is better than us, regardless of how many young players that they're inviting into this group. This is a team that can play. Yeah, yeah. And there's a comment there from Lab who says, we can't lose the Peru. You know, Peru is like one of the weakest teams in Conquercaf. I'm paraphrasing tones. I think there's an element of both. We obviously want to get a result. But but it's how we get the result that I'm actually most interested in. You know, in terms of decision making on both sides of the ball. I know that the cohesiveness is a bit fluid because if we're adding a lot of young players who haven't been at this spot, there's just going to be a little bit of some hiccups and that's to be expected. But I still want to see some type of style of play as soon as we can start to stamp our identity. And here's something I think is interesting about Mauricio Pocicino. I'm sorry, I'm a little bit all over the place and then you can take it. But I do think it's with Pocicino coming back. I listen, I've been a staunch supporter that only, you know, one World Cup cycle for coaches. But I do think there's a lot of value in him being able to, now he, he knows what we're about, right? He's had 18 months, almost two years now of knowing what our player pool now looks like, how soccer works in this country, the type of player profiles that he wants, the, the formation and, and, and understanding of how in the culture, right? All these things now he comes in and has coming into the cycle. And I think that's a big asset and value. And so now I wonder how those guys that he brings in are going to fit into this, including our younger guys. So it's going to be really interesting to see what that identity starts to look like. I know it's early days of a World Cup cycle, but, but that still can be implemented. And now he can build off of that and has a plenty of runway to make sure we're firing and all cylinders come to work. Can I add something, Jimmy? So I think I'm 100% with you when you're talking about coaches and managers who have been with a team, with a national team for far too long and, and the voice. Um, it's, it's, it's tough to, to make an impact because it's, it's kind of been. Just monotonous, right? And it's, you're just continuing to hear the same things, the same instructions. And there's no creativity. There's no, there's no inventiveness, right? From, from a coach. But recent, what you know, it was literally at like the back end of that cycle, right? So he literally had like a year and a half and it felt like maximum with, with this group. So it doesn't necessarily feel like he's had a full cycle and guys are like, oh, they're so used to him and he already has his favorites. I feel like if there's ever an example or a case where a coach getting another cycle is, is very still fresh and new, it would be this one because he already changed the, the dynamic of the team a lot in the short amount of time that he's been there and he's kept all of us guessing in terms of his philosophy, that formations, which players he likes, which players he's going to use. He's kept us guessing up until the World Cup where we finally got into a rhythm where we go, okay, we know who is, his trusted players are, who's trusted 11 is. We kind of know the shape. But can we all sit here and say we know exactly how he's going to play in the next four years that we know exactly that he's going to stick with this fluid back three, back four, is he going to stick with that group? Do we think he's essentially going to go back to that four, two, three, one, and keep experimenting? I have no idea. We're sitting here today going, we don't know what the starting lineup is going to look like over the next four games. Does he want to give a lot of new opportunities to the young kids? Is he going to make them earn it? Is he going to play most of his veterans? So I'm, I'm all for seeing how he evolves in this next four years cycle. I just listen in it. There's a couple of things there. First off, I'm going to throw this out. You don't have to answer the question now. Just think about it. When that lineup comes out, and I don't know my answer either, by the way, are you looking at the personnel or the formation first? Which one? Like which one's more curious for you? Because I'm thinking like, there's always guys I want to see. And when we give our lineups, we'll see what we were thinking about formation. But I still don't know my answer. But I just want to address the cycle part of it. And then I just wrote this down, different cycle, different message. Right. When you're, when he was a year and a half or so out of the world cup, you know, out from the world cup, it was like, I need you, right? I need you now. I need all these, these names, if you will. Now I feel like the, I don't know if you guys saw online his message to the team about, you know, the badge and the federation. Now it's, it seems like the message is different. Like you have to feel like you need us now, right? Like now you're at the beginning of the cycle, feels like a completely different message. So as much as it, it may get old and I don't think it will in training because he really didn't have a lot of trainings with the group, right? As much as sometimes he gets old, like you talk about Peru, they had Kareka for how long? You know, I, I don't know how many years he was there, but I mean, the messaging must have been pretty much the same. And, and you know, eventually got to make a change this time. The messaging is completely different. And I think that's why for him, it's also probably important to bring in all these new faces, right? None of them have been tarnished in any way. Like the none of them could have gotten mad at in a training. Like this is all new to them. And the energy I imagine those guys are, I wish you could see training like for a week because I imagine those guys are just flying around everywhere, right? Trying to make an impression. But I don't know, would you, do you look at the shape? Or are you going to look at the, the personnel? I'm going to look at the, yeah, I was going to say, I'm going to look at which personnel personnel really. I think I'm, you know, why, man, you know, why, why personnel is because you know, if Alex Freeman and desks are playing together, that they can't be, that it can't be a right back situation in and back for it. Right? So if you're looking at personnel, you're saying, okay, well, there, there'll, there'll be redundancies. I can't be paid Miller and anti-Robinson on the pitch for me because they're both left, left, left. When we back, no, but you're, you're, you're, you're looking at the, the, the personnel first because you're saying, okay, if I'm looking at the team sheet in the names, and I see Julian Hall, right? I'm not going to expect to see, and I see Tillman and Reina, I'm not going to expect to see Matisse Alper or Cole Campbell or, but if you see those names, then you're going, okay, what, then I'm going to go, what formation is, is this? Like, I'm going to try and put it together, but you don't expect to see the names first to go, okay, I guess I'm looking in reverse of what, exactly what you're, so I'm looking at it in reverse, right? Like, yeah, who, who are the guys that he, because if I see three in the back, one, I'll get more excited still. Yeah, and two, like, uh, uh, then I would, for me, but I think we're saying, we might, you're three in the back at, at this stage of your, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I don't know yet, Chuck, I don't know, we, I'm going to make it fall here. We've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, we've got a tease, so they're going to be hungry, just like us, they're going to want to fight and make a good impression for what they're trying to do in the start of their World Cup cycle. Also, as a reminder, we have a watch along for Saturday's game, so join me, Charlie and Marcelo Balbo, who's filling in for big tones for our USman's national team and versus Peru live watch along. The new cycle starts now, everybody with a roster that is packed with a bunch of fresh faces, and we'll get into that lineup in a little bit. That's all kicking off at 4.30 p.m. Eastern on the Gloss of Network and the Gloss of America YouTube channel, which hopefully that's where you're watching right now. All right, we're going to take our first break when we come back. It is special guest time, so don't go anywhere. All right, welcome back into the show. I'm Conradinho, alongside Check Chase and Chuck and Big Tones, and listen, we're very excited. We got a special guest joining us live from Camp for the USman's national team, but I'm going to give you a tale of the tape before we bring him on. All right, 25 years old. Okay, he's captain of West Brom. He was born in Chester, PA, home of the Union, by the way. You could probably ask him about that. I moved down to Atlanta, Georgia when he was younger and joined the Atlanta United Academy, played for the first team for a couple of years, went to Montreal. Now he's at West Brom. He's absolutely crushing it. We're excited to have him back in camp, see how he does, how he performs. We need some centerbacks absolutely balling out. It's George Campbell, everybody, George. Pleasure to be on. Appreciate the intro. No problem, no problem. Great to see your face and hope everything's going well. So listen, I did a little bit of the math. I was a math major in college, didn't graduate, staying in school, everybody, but it's been 20 months. 20 months since you had your last and only cap for the USman's national team. How excited are you to be back in with the guys? Yeah, I mean, even last year, obviously for West Brom was for a lot of the US playing right back. So I feel like I wasn't in my strongest position and it was hard to kind of break into the team. Obviously, the US is a strong team. So yeah, I was disappointing not to be called into a lot of them, but you know, I'm still young. There's plenty of football to be played and I was just trying to do my best to get back in. I'm glad I got into this one and I'm just trying to prove myself. George, good to see you and congrats on the call in here to the national team. Jimmy mentioned January 25, what's changed in your game? Where's George Campbell improved? You know, on and off the field really because you been named the captain as well of West Brom, which we set a couple weeks massive for an American guy to go to club like that and be named captain. Yeah, I think on the pitch, just being more, obviously, it comes with that without saying, but more experience. So it's just coming with that. It's just more talking on the pitch, more organizing. And I just think making making better decisions on the ball. I think that's been a big thing. I think it even still now, you know, I try to clean up some mistakes I make. I think I make too many, but I think I've really cleaned it up over the past year or so in decision-making. And on top of that, just being a being a leader on the pitch, I think, you know, when your team needs you just it's just to step up. And, you know, we were faced with relegation last year and even then I thought I really stepped up for the team and ultimately the manager trust me with that. George, I'm ultra critical of the championship versus demolished. For me, I'm always like, come on guys, like if you're leaving MLS playing in a top division versus championship and I get it, it's crazy. There's a lot of games and you grow. But from your perspective, we know the championship can be relentless, different types of strikers, you know, the second balls, transitions, dealing with crosses. But what has playing week to week in that environment taught you about defending? I think one of the things you just said, I think every game of the ball is coming to the box, like constantly. So I think defending crosses dealing with bigger strikers or, you know, even just more aggressive strikers, those nasty players who really get into your all game. I think that really helps a center back grow, you know, off the ball on the ball. It makes you, you know, kind of more aware and alert in the box when defending. I think that's one of the biggest things as well as what we asked previously that has really helped me, you know, kind of take a step up. It's just being a little nastier and a little more tight to my man in the box and just getting stronger in the air. I think that's also a part of my game where I can really improve is just getting better in the air. And I think the challenge is just a prime league for improving that. I don't talk about that. There's teams that play a good football, you know, it's, it's not, it's not all. Give me the toughest striker that you've faced in the championship that you maybe have taken a second and go, well, this guy is either a legit movement or a great skill. And then compare that player to the toughest player you put face in MLS as an attacker. Well, I'll just, other than messy, of course, I'll think about, I'll think about that answer. But I want to say there's been some a lot of very similar in the chat. Adam, we just played at Wolves, Adam Armstrong. He's one of the smaller ones, actually, but he's very tidy, technical. He runs in behind. I think most four is the ones who run in behind the most are actually the ones who cause me the most problems, just because no center back wants to deal with it. So even key for more, I love those strikers. He for more of a rexam was one of the, the whole that ones. He's a, he's a handful and also on rexam, Sam Smith, he was literally just running the channel every single play. And I think that was the most distance I've come into the game. It was like almost 11K as a center back. It was unexamined. Yeah, that's just bad position really. But, um, yeah, I would say those two and Adam Armstrong have been ones that just first come to mind. And then MLS, I know that Kevin Kelsey guy was there. I remember a few years back. He was actually a handful. He's massive. He's that ranger now. Yeah, he was a handful. Um, Adjiemann was a handful. That's my boy. He was a handful. Now you got to deal with them in the championship. Yeah, yeah. Andrew, I talked to him after the Darby Gate we played him. I'll just beg him for him to get back. Um, but yeah, it's hard to say. I'm unless you got some wild card ballers just, yeah, you know, crazy players that, um, you know, you think they could be at a top top club. Um, but yeah, it's, it's difficult to say who's producing harder to defend players. All right. We'd like to put you on the spot here on the show. So, so, it sounds like you're getting better at the dark arts. I think that's a nice. You're saying it very diplomatically, but you're getting better at the dark arts of the game. And I appreciate that. And listen, I'm a, I'm a bit of a late bloomer didn't get my first cap with the national team. 12 is 28. So the plenty of time for you to get season to get more caps under your belt and more experience at the club level as well. So talk to me when you're watching the World Cup this summer. Where did you feel like? And this is something that we've all did in our own careers. You start to visualize yourself that if I had been in that game or, or, you know, if I had been playing, maybe I could have solved a different set of problems. Or maybe I wasn't ready yet. And I still need a little bit more seasoning to get to that point. You know, what did you take away from it? And, and how excited were you to ultimately see us host, you know, a home World Cup? Yeah. Honestly, I wish I did looking back. I wish I did go to some games in person, but I didn't get a chance to, but yeah, honestly, looking back, I don't think I feel like it's hard to tell myself I wasn't ready, but I do think I definitely would need to step up my game to, to be ready for, you know, a big massive games with the national team like that. You know, they played some good teams. Obviously, Tim and Chris, like their experience players in the, you know, their class. So yeah, I really look up to them in terms of their game and watching, but yeah, I just think, you know, I still have a lot to improve. And I think we have four years to the next one. And I feel like I'm a player who's always constantly been improving my whole career so far. I don't feel like I've hit a stump at all. I feel like there's a lot to keep going. So in terms of that, I'm confident myself to get back to the team over and over. Hopefully in the next couple of years, but yeah, just the World Cup being there. I think it brought a lot of energy to the city. And obviously, my, my family isn't Atlanta. So we, we had to cancel one of the fanfests, but we're trying to go to a few of the fanfests in Atlanta and just the buzz around it was unbelievable, honestly. To talk about using it as a motivation, right? Like you don't make a World Cup team, you see it at home. Charlie talks oftentimes about the 1994 World Cup and how that kind of drove him to want to do what he does. He was a little bit younger than you were, obviously, but just talk about how that now, you two Jones. Yeah, I was. Yeah, but I meant you were younger than George was at the World Cup. Yeah, and just how that kind of now fuels you a little bit. Yeah, I mean, I was, to be honest, I think when they were making decisions, was when I just got back to Atlanta from, you know, vacation after the long season. And I was actually pretty hopeful. I was planning to send it back my best position a couple months prior to the end of the season. And I was a little hopeful, but, you know, I knew it's difficult to, after not being in a camp for, you know, a year to, to kind of go into a group that's already jailed and getting prepared for a tournament. So, yeah, just looking back like it was, it was very disappointing not even to get a chance, but it wasn't so much a surprise in that moment that I didn't get to go. So it felt almost as if for a couple of months I knew I had to do a lot more over the next few years, rather than, you know, immediate disappointment as soon as the roster was named because, you know, I knew it was a slim chance at that point, but yeah, overall, it is what you dream of as a kid. And even like my wife was a support me there throughout that moment. And she knew it was what I dreamed of for a long time, planning to work up in, you know, in the US, which is, I think it announced maybe like 10 years ago from now. So it's something that I always dreamed of. And, you know, when you don't make a goal, you just have to make another one. I think that's my mentality. And, you know, my mentality, like I just said, is to, you know, get to as many camps for the next few years and get to the next big tournament. So George, walk me through your mindset as you're coming into this camp because this obviously isn't your first appearance, but it's been such a long time. And like you said, there are some players who have that relationship on the pitch already talking about Chris Richards and Freeman, you know, Starter's desk Robinson. So how do you approach breaking in? What are you thinking that you need to do to make sure that, hey, this isn't going to be the last time I'm called in. I'm going to be in the next camp. Yeah. And to be honest, most of the guys, most of the experienced guys across the backline here are guys that I know pretty well. I just had a group with trustee. I played with Miles, cool with Freeman. And so yeah, like those are guys who obviously, I know what they bring to the pitch and, you know, what I see, what part she's in them. And, you know, it's really about learning, learning about not only what I can improve in my game, but learning what the manager wants for this group. Because obviously everyone knows it's different from, you know, club football to to international. So yeah, it's really about learning. I would say even more than learning, you know, to grow abilities, but learning to really see what the manager wants and try to implement that in training and, you know, the games that he, he hopefully gives me this camp. So I think it would be, how much different is it, how much different is it from what you do at Westprone, like with Puchotino, not not so much the speed of play, but what your actual role is with Puchotino versus the, give us the secrets, man. What is he asking? No, I mean, to be honest, it's a bit of a chain reaction, because how, how I'll move, you know, around the pitch kind of, you know, sometimes depends on the sixes or the midfielders, and obviously if he wants them to move differently, then it makes me move differently. And just how we open up for the ball, and sometimes, if it's a two or three, we're building up in, it's definitely a lot different from, you know, how we'll play with James Morrison at Westprone. But yeah, I think a lot of his emphasis is on, on the midfielders or the fullbacks, dropping in and protecting that, you know, whole that, he doesn't want to leave with the two centerbacks. Whereas at Westprone, I think we're just shifting a lot more, trying to just stay in a four. But yeah, this is, I mean, there's so many things different, and it's just a completely different game. That's what I say. I just have to kind of watch and learn what he wants from us more and more. All right, George, there's a ton of youngsters in this camp, mixed in with a bunch of veterans. You're kind of in the middle of that, you got one cap, of course, but you've got a lot more playing experience in some of these younger guys, which one of them is kind of blowing your mind, like holy crap. I wish I was that good at 16, you know, those kids that are, that are impressing you in any way here in camp. Off the top of my head, or just a little off your question, but I texted one of my boys who played the Red Bulls and I said, Julian does not stop running him behind. I hate defending him. That's the first thing that comes to mind, honestly, I told them to, I said, can you stop please running and be behind. And then yeah, Matisse, I thought it was pretty sharp, cool Campbell is pretty sharp. But yeah, I haven't, I haven't seen enough of everyone to be honest. We, it was one of my travel plus one days two days ago. So really, I only got one full day training. So yeah, I hope to see a lot more of the coming days, for sure. Yeah, cool. What's in this camp? What's success for you? I get everyone wants to win the game. We understand that part, right? That's submission number one. But for George Campbell, like when you leave in whatever it is 10 days or 12 days, whatever the camp, whenever it ends, how do you measure success? Yeah, I think, I think when I leave the pitch or however many games I play when I leave the camp, I think if I feel like the, and it's not just about the experience, but it's about the new guys as well. But if I feel like in general, the group that I played with feels like they can trust me and they like playing with me. And I make the team better when I'm in it. I feel like that would be a huge success. Obviously, it doesn't have to happen overnight. But I think if in any sort of way that I feel like I am improving the team or I feel like I'm jelling very well and have good chemistry on the pitch of these players, I feel like that will in my head be a huge success. And in general, obviously, that goes well saying, I think that would help me get to another camp. For me, George, you've had incredible progress. And I think what stands out to me is how you're saying, hey, I'm still learning. I'm still growing, which you need to have at every, at every facet of your career, because the game's always evolving. If you could look forward, let's say, to the future four years from now, in your playing, starting for the U.S. team in the next World Cup. What do you need to have done to make sure that that happens? Sorry, I don't think Rubeservic is trying to get me. Just say you're wanting to get through Rubeservic's last part of the question. Rubeservic's team has changed, Chuck. They got Rubeservic now. No, this is crazy. This is crazy. I actually look forward to going down to eating and seeing all the guys. What would you say, what would you have needed to show Marcio over the next three years or so to make sure that you're starting? Yeah, I think there's a level of just pure technical ability building out. That part of it goes without saying, I think, across the backline. Everyone of the team needs to be good at the ball, sharp with the passes through lines, whatever it is. Apart from the obvious stuff, I think there's a level of command and just aura, as a center back, you need to have around you. I think what do you look that confident on and off the ball? You can see really a leader. When you're watching a Westprone game or wherever I am, let's say two, three years, you need to be able to see a leader and see someone who it looks like they're ready to kind of bring it to you into a next level, no matter who they're playing with. I think that on top of the me improving my game on the ball is I think the two main things I would say. All right, George. Last question before we let you go and we appreciate your time. Your best Jersey Swap. It's part of the tradition here on the show. If you come on, you have a good Jersey Swap story. Maybe somebody waved you off. I've got waved off a few times or maybe you got the Jersey that you wanted. What's your best story? It might be underwhelming because I'm so much, I really have, I only swap with like my close friends really. I haven't searched for like that massive player really. So I don't have the messies or anything like that. But I'll say, I like the, I like the Ajuman one to be honest. The Derby, the Derby kit. Honestly, we were in camp in the January camp for the first time together and I got really close to him. So he's my boy. And yeah, like I just just love playing against him. I've played against a few times in Charlotte and one time, maybe two times in Derby. So I think between the actual kit and how close I am with him, just on top of that how we battle on the pitch makes it kind of a more fun Jersey Swap. All right. I like that one. I like that. We have plenty of time for that. George Campbell, everybody. Thank you so much for hanging out with us. We wish you the best of luck in camp and hope you appreciate it very, very soon. George Campbell. All right, stick with us. We'll be right back right after this. You know, Dan, losing weight can feel a lot like getting so close to the end zone and then losing the ball right before you cross the line. Winning the game is great, but maintaining that success season after season, that's where the real challenge lies. That's right. So I say, noom, the leading behavior change company pairs GLP one medication with behavioral tools, bite size daily lessons and coaching to help you build sustainable habits. It's like having a full coaching staff to help you lose weight and keep it off, even if you stop the meds. The noom GLP one program starts at $39 and medication can be delivered to your door in as little as seven days. Get a real game plan for lasting success. Start your GLP one journey today at noom.com. That's n-o-o-m dot com. Noom, lose for keeps. Initial one month subscription from $39 plus tax and $99 plus tax per month there after cost of medication not included. Final pricing depends upon program selection. All right, welcome back into the stretch run of the show. George Campbell, what an interview. Let's do a little recap on that big tone. So I was pleasantly surprised, maybe not pleasantly surprised, but he was open, given us some of the secrets from Reese's Pochettino and good energy overall. So I'm excited to see him perform for the US. Yeah, and I just love his pathway, right? I mean, he's just gotten better since he left here and continues to get better. It's the way it's supposed to be. And now you get another opportunity with the national team. So good for him, man, looking forward to see how it works out. And we know it's a light position, let's say, for our national team right now. And Chuck, I feel like you can kind of see why he is a captain of West Brown, right? He feels very, got a nice warmth to him. He talked about aura and presence. And if you can bring that to the national team, it'll be a welcome addition to the team, whether he's starting for us or coming off the bench or whatever it is, right? You still need those types of guys that are within that group to have success. I'm curious, Jimmy, before I answer that question, when did you feel that you had aura? Well, I was born with it. So did you see his face for a second? He said, uh, what do you know, but what do you think you had that? Because you said you didn't get called up until you're 28 years old to the national team. Yeah. So you are the, you're the definition definition of late bloomer. Yes. So when did you from that point hit, hit, or a mode, Jimmy Conrad? Was it 30s? No, no, no, I actually think that one, I made the gold cup team in 2005 that validated some of the decisions I was making in terms of how I want to do approach the game. So it's so it started 2003. I got traded to Kansas City. It was playing with big tones. And at that point, Bob Gancer was a coach. We were playing a back three. And I had to be one of the grunt guys. I wasn't one in the middle. I wasn't playing the back and bower role where you get to just be the sweeper, smoke a cigarette, sip a cappuccino and make everybody else do the work. I was one of the grunt guys. It's marking one of the strikers and good luck with that. And I thought I had more to give to the game. So when we switched to a back four in 2004 after Precky broke his leg, unfortunately, because Precky's a beast, uh, that actually allowed me to kind of get into that space where I thought I could demonstrate more of my skill set. And I started to grow from there. And then as I started to approach the game and how I was thinking about the game, how I was preparing for it and being smarter and more efficient at how I wanted to work, then it really started to culminate in getting a call up to that camp in 2005 and then making the gold cup team really validated that. And once I started to feel comfortable within the group, that's when I started to I don't say about aura, but just felt really confident in the decisions I was making and in how I was leading Chuck, right? And I feel like I can hear it in George's voice that he really has a clear identity of who he wants to look at that squad, Jim. And you got a picture of you. Yeah. Yeah, good. Casey Keller, Frankie Hayduc to Marcus Beasley, Josh Wolf, Greg Vanny, Lenin Donovan, and John O'Brien. Oh, and Chris Arbisson. Wow. What a squad. Yeah, 2005 gold cup final. I hope you. By the way, that was the first, that was the first jersey ever wore with the youth national team. Yeah, that's cool. 90 kit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Look at that. He's got that way here. He's got a run through right there. That's it. Yeah, that's that angry face. Look, looks like I hit, but it you got a little lump over your left eye. I do. I do. Yeah, a little blue steel there. But yeah, so, so yeah, good question. But yeah, it does take a while to kind of fall into that, but you have to know where you want to go. I think having an idea of the type of player you want to be as important and to visualize how to get there. And then as tone said earlier, how do you reverse engineer making that happen, right? I think that's really important to kind of see your. But to your point, Jimmy, you may you may have had aura as a professional like once you found your groove with Kansas City in a back four, but it's another thing to have aura coming into a national team. You're talking about the 2005 goal cup. Well, you got to think in 02, we're talking about John O'Brien already being a stud across the world. Len and Donovan making the best 11 in the World Cup. Demark is easily standing out. So if you're going across that that roster, those guys are already proven at the highest level in the national team. When did you feel like, hey, I'm not only do I deserve to be on this pitch, which you probably fell at that point, but you had the aura that people like of that level would listen to you. Yeah. I don't know if I ever really felt completely accepted, secure like in that way. Like I have that aura that I know I'm going to do my job. Everyone respects me and I can say, Hey, Len, move up. And he's not going to surround me like shut shut up. So so well, there's there's there's two things. One, your coach has to make sure that everybody understands where that communication is coming from. So so I thought Bruce arena did a really nice job that if we're going to press as a group, it's got to come from the centerbacks. So so when you know that that like if that information is coming from me, it's getting back that by Bruce. Now, obviously, I got to earn Bruce's trust that I'm giving good information at the right time. But I also knew at that point at so my first cap I had turned 20. That's my first camp. I was 28. But then once I got my first cap, I was no, no, I was 27 and 28. Yeah, you're right. So so at 28, I knew this was pretty much now or never. Like I'm either going to make the national team and I'm going to stick and and the dream is to make the world cup. But I knew I needed I guess I needed to be a certain version of myself for that to happen. So I had to get out of my comfort zone and I had to be confident in myself to give these guys, Pablo Mausriani, who's right in front of me, John O'Brien, as you mentioned, Claudio Rayna, Chris Armist, I had to give these guys really good information to make their lives easier, right? To make the game easier for them. And and as I said in the previous show, how can I get them to do less running, right? And if you start to do that, then you start to build trust very quickly. Everybody wants to do less running. So so so I had to kind of be somebody that I knew I needed to be to fit in with that national team because if I wasn't talking and leading, there's just no chance I was going to make the team. Uh, yes, I have item. I'm not the best pastor of the ball. Maybe I'm underselling myself. I was decent, but like I'm not like a Tim Reem who I can just spray the ball and play out of every situation. I just want to get it off my feet and get it to the guys that are really good at that. It was a potato for you, bro. It's always a hot potato. It's always a hot potato. Hey, Jimmy was, was Tom was, Tom was Tom's loud behind you. Or was he a quiet like quiet, like he just asserted? Just just just take a guess, Chuck. Don't answer Jimmy. Just take, take one guess. You didn't talk a lot. Listen, you got two guys that are that are doing media for post careers. I don't think Tony talked a lot in the end. I actually didn't. I talked less in the end because the coaches were demanding different things of me in the beginning. Like the answer was like, you got to be on these guys for 90 minutes. You can't let them sleep. And my national team coaches were like that too early on. Borough was like that too. You know, it sucked being that guy like sometimes man, but yeah, but anyway, where I learned a lot from from big tones and then we'll get into our starting elevens or project starting elevens was like more than in the box decision making. So once we got kind of closer to him in his area of the field, then he got very vocal and very clear on what we should be doing and how we should be doing it. And that happened in practice as well. So, so he helped me a lot in terms of box defending and how to get closer to a guy, how to check your shoulder, how to see how to do two things at once, right? And so he, yeah, I wouldn't, I got to do more. The more I organized, the less I had to do, bro. Hey, I hear you. Hey, hey, strikers, drop back. Drop back. That's funny. That's funny. All right, big tones. Let's talk about this crew game. Put a little button on this. What's your starting eleven for this? What's your formation? I guess we should start there. Who are you going to roll out? Yeah. So give it to us. And then I'll go and then chuck it. So I went with sort of a more, I'd call it like a more experienced group, just to kind of kick off the cycle that was kind of my thinking. And then I also think there might be the chance that before the fourth game, some of those guys go back, right, to their club. So, right, freezing goal, Richard's anchoring the defense with Freeman on one side, Austin trustee, I think is earned that position right now on the other side. Two wing backs. Again, two guys that we know a lot about. Adams, if he's coming here, I think he's playing Sebastian Berhalter. We know that he's a favorite. Geo Reina for me gets the start in this one, starting to play well at his club. Tillman, maybe not the same story as Reina right now, but we know him much. He likes him and we're a thin at this position. This would have been peppy for me, but I'm going to go the youngster, even, you know, the words from George Campbell talking about running in behind in that thing. I'm like, okay, I made the right choice here with Julian Hall. So, more experience, and of course, Matt freeze in goal than I would in this second game coming up. Okay, yeah, I like those choices and I can see why you're leaning towards experience, especially our first game back in a World Cup cycle and from kind of the ending that we had against Belgium in the summer World Cup. All right, I'm going to go next. I will go Matt freeze in goal. I think that he just needs another game to think about as opposed to the last one. My back three though, I got Neil Pierre in there. So, I should say this, I wanted a new face in every line of the fields, mixing with the older guys. So, I got Neil Pierre off the left shoulder of Chris Richards who's in the middle of Freeman on the right. You got Desk is one of the wingback, so on one side, Jedi on the other. You got Adams next to Mimetti. I went with Mimetti, Sink or Swim time. I want to see how he does and performs when the game's a little bit faster, a little bit more physical and see if he can handle himself. And then you have Tillman and Reina, very similar to you and I got Julian Hall up top as well. So, I have a young face in every line of the fields. If you wanted to, we don't really have any strikers, but he could have gone maybe you know, Kevin Sullivan. I don't know where he'd go because I kind of want to see Tillman and Reina roll out there and kind of really dictate the tempo and tone of the game right from the onset. But that's that's what I went with and just tried to sprinkle in because we have so many young guys, try to sprinkle them in, but it makes a lot of sense, tones that we've probably lean heavier on experience. And then Chuck, what do you got? What's your lineup? Yeah, I think Potch will go with experience as well. So, this is my 11. I started with Matt free. Oh, this is. Did you go coaching? This is not what I put at all. This I went with what Potch would do first. So, I'll read how I would have. Yeah, this is this is what I would like to see, but this is what Potch I think is going to go with. Free single. Okay. Freeman writes Richards in the middle and I think he's going to go with Miles Robinson and the left center back position. Okay. Then I have Anthony Robinson, left wing back, Serginia desk, right wing back, and then Adams Burr halter in the middle, Tillman Rayna just in front of them and Hall up top. Okay. That's that's what I had. So similar to big tones. Okay. That's anything. So the one the the the the 11 that is up now is the one I'd like to see. This is my deal. 11, which is all right. Let's read that one out. Yeah, Diego coaching and goal. Neil Pierre in the left center back role. It's time to see what he looks like at this level. Chris Richards alongside Chris Richards, but I think we'll be helpful for him. Alex Freeman in that right center back role. Now I want to see Peyton Miller get in that left wing back role with Tyler Adams and Burr alter in the middle and then Dest on the right wing back role and then Tillman and Kevin Sullivan playing in those advanced with Julian Hall up top. That's who I would like to see, but I don't think we're going to see a number of those younger players. So you got five younger players in what you'd like to see. So so really going every line of the field. If we play the 3 4 2 1. Yeah, I like that. I wouldn't against Peru. Like why not? For me, this this is a great opportunity to do that. You can it's very rare where you get experienced first team guys are going to be a part of the cycle for the long run with newcomers at this level, right? So if you're saying, Hey, let's really mix it up and give these younger players a chance to play with the established players. You know, typically you probably see maybe two in a camp like this, but against Peru, there's nothing to lose. Why not throw out like you said, sink or swim and see where they are right now. Yeah, then you can measure that three years down the road. Yeah, I was interested in and you have you have five younger players and the one that you'd like to see. I guess coaching could fall doesn't maybe have as impact as much impact in terms of the run a play. So, but but I do I wanted to say much like I wanted to see Neil Pierre in between Jedi and Chris Richards. That's a good show. It's going to give that's going to give you really good information on where he fits and Tyler Adams right in front of him, right? So he's got a he's got to organize Tyler Adams and Jedi and he's got to give good information to the to the to the weak side shoulder of Chris Richards or vice versa. He's got to be listening to Matt Freeze giving him information of Chris Richards giving him information and how does he react in those moments. So, so I thought sandwiching some of these younger guys around some older guys is interesting and I and I like that thought process. However, I could see both of you and the ideal things that you'd want to see, but don't you see I do. Yeah, but I just get one of these games. Yeah, and Hill and absolutely he's going to play I'm hoping he plays two of these games in this window, but I just think you got to give Matt Freeze was your World Cup goalkeeper. You could say what you want to see all the but yeah, I just think that's what Pochitino is going to do. But who knows? I mean, this could be just, you know, we just pick it out again. We have no idea. No idea. I love it. I love it. Well, that's it. We're calling it a show. What a show it was to get to talk a lot about the team. Of course, I projected 11s. Got George Campbell on the show. We always love it. We can get a player from camp that's kind of giving us some insights on what's happening. Great personality behind the scenes. Great personality. Great leader. Look forward to him getting some minutes whether it's against Peru or the end of the end of the other games. Got some big ones as well. But again, join us this Saturday for the USman's national team versus Peru. Our watch along, our solo Balboa. We joined us. He's substituting in for big tones. We'll be live on the Glosso America YouTube channel. Glosso Network. And that will kick off it for 15 p.m. Eastern. So yeah, come hang out with us. And that's it. Thanks. Watch with us out. Peace. Later. You Car about podcasts. Out of the shadows of Paramount Mountain, three heroes level up at Styrus and Gileus battle against the evil giant Deathhater to save the kingdom of Euria from so much arrow laser knives, orderly dwarves, bad brother, sentient skeletons, swordscorpion, death armor, fire, in this thing, that thing, whatever that is, so much peril and heroes. This is just the beginning of the story of Hampton Square. Golden Axe, new series now screaming on Paramount+.