📜 View Full Episode Verbatim Transcript
63,465 characters
The reason why I get interested or more interested in a team is because of the American influence they have. Don't think for a second that they are not leaning into that, whether it's Crystal Palace or other teams here, and recognizing this incredible market. It warms the cockles of my old red-headed American heart to see all of these young players that are getting these pathways, have these experiences and these opportunities open to them that never existed back in the day. I can't quit you, Joe. You can be so frustrating as a player, and yet I'm here for this experiment. Hello sunshine, I'm Alex Laos and well with the State of the Union show. This is where we look at the beautiful game on and off the field through the lens of red white and blue-colored glasses. This show will be talking, oh yeah, the EPL's back, Haji out. The American is the nation of sports, MLS paperwork, Captain Busio, Johnny. Can you come out and play? Soccer, aggression, Titanic, and so much more. But first, you know what I was always my friend, my colleague, my guiding light, David Mossy, a soccer savant, and a soccer researcher and writer, extraordinaire. Mossy, how you doing on this Wednesday, August 19th, in the year 2026, my friend. I'm doing well. I'm very honored. I'm sitting in your chair today, and you know, on our last pod, you made a comment about how difficult it is to get in and out of JFK airport, which proved to be very prescient given your travails today. Well, you know, we got back in the studio earlier this week, as you mentioned. It was great to be back. It looks wonderful. And for those that saw, in particular, and heard, but saw the show from Monday, you'll recognize that we're taking it up a step. And I was there, but then I got on a plane today, came out here to the east coast. I'll be out here for the week. I'm going to go to the race this weekend in DC. So I'll talk about that next week on the shows next week. But yes, I am out here, and yes, I flew through JFK. If I'm doing power rankings of just the worst airports ever, JFK is up there. But I don't know. I mean, the seventh ring of hell still for me is Atlanta, but it was again a mess today. My thanks and hats off to the men and women that put this show together for hanging around waiting for me, and we'll still get you the content that you need. But anyway, my friend, shall we like the scandal? Let's do it. All right. Where should we start? So another Premier League season is upon us. It gets underway this upcoming weekend. We'll start there. We zip around some of the top European leagues. Defending champions Arsenal will begin against Haji Wright's Coventry City. Unfortunately, Haji Wright will not be involved. Coventry boss Frank Lampard revealing that Haji Wright will miss probably the first 12 weeks or so of the season with an injury, which is a real bummer. Haji, as you might recall, scored 17 championship goals last season to help Coventry get promoted. The big question is when he's healthy and gets on the field, will his game translate to the Premier League? How all do you think he'll do once he gets back on the field? Yeah. And then in the context of the national team, where look, we've seen Haji Wright. And so the question is, where is that ceiling or has he already hit it? Or does this moment here change things in the way that we look at him? It's not a sneaking suspicion. I think he is what he is. And that's good, but it's not necessarily good enough to usurp a flobaligan or a cartopepi. But you kind of want to see. Maybe he rises to the occasion. So this is a bummer for him, obviously, for bummer for us, for not being able to see that. And consistency is everything. And we've talked so much about injuries, whether it comes to, you know, Georano, we'll talk about later, and I'm politic, and these types of players, and staying healthy, it is a skill. So bad news for him, but Coventry City, Arsenal, if you're going to sit out a game or multiple games, unfortunately, for him when it comes to injured, these are not the games that Coventry City is marking down for them to get three points. Everton will host Crystal Palace Xavier Gozo is on his way to Palace. There was a brief delay due to paperwork, but the move went through Palace, even put out a snazzy little video with Chris Richards welcoming Gozo to Palace. So we now have two Americans to root for on that club, and they begin this campaign against Everton. I like the fact that that Crystal Palace is leaning into the American side of it. And I guess this is as good a time as any to just kind of, I probably should have prefaced all of this as we talk about getting excited about the European leagues kicking off. It's all in the context, at least on this show, of the Americans playing, and I know sometimes people bristle at that, and they question your fandom, and I'm readily admit that the reason why I get interested or more interested in a team is because of the American influence they have. Usually it's on the field, it can be off the field, but that American influence, it pulls me in, and don't think for a second that they are not leaning into that, whether it's Crystal Palace or other teams here, and recognizing this incredible market, but it doesn't make you any more or less of a fan of the game, but in this particular instance when it comes to, I think, American soccer supporters in general, there is a pride for your national team that I think is almost at times the primary way that fans express themselves, and I'm not saying that you can't start off liking a team because there's American playing there and then become a lifelong supporter of that team, but this is what drives a lot of the eyes and a lot of that market that maybe will be taste testing you for the first time. In this case, it's Crystal Palace, so I like the marketing aspect of it, and then practically for this player who still, as much as he is kind of burst on the scene, is still very young, the fact that they are including him and therefore enticing us to tune in because of the American angle, that's a good thing because a lot of times you'll see players, especially young players, just kind of get moved along and loaned out, especially when it comes to the bigger clubs, but who knows? I mean, this is at least, at least so far off the field, this is a good sign for Gozo. This Gozo move is reigniting that age-old debate about MLS's place in the transfer market. Are you proud that MLS produced a player who at 19 is off to the Premier League, or do you lament that MLS is not yet at a place where they can try to hold on to guys like Gozo? Yeah, so I guess it's six or one half a dozen the other in that I remain proud and I also give praise to MLS for having developed into a league that now is consistently, like I said, developing young talent and then selling that young talent on. The other part of the equation is, I guess the challenge and I guess you could call it the problem of, but MLS still hasn't become that league of choice for young domestically developed talent and that's the next part of MLS's evolution and yes, it means you have to make it worth their while, but there's still the aspirational aspect that is incredibly powerful for these young players to go to Europe and I get that and I think it's completely fair and that's what MLS has to consistently chip away at. Yeah, I'm proud of all of these players that are getting, I mean, again, MLS, I think it's important not to act like an old man or anything like that, but to give context and perspective, I had to star in a world cup in order to get an opportunity to go to Europe and now it just, it warms the cockles of my old red-headed American heart to see all of these young players that are getting these pathways, have these experiences and these opportunities open to them that never existed back in the day. Nottingham Forest, who are managed by former Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, they will face Brendan Aaronson and Leeds, what are your thoughts about Brendan Aaronson entering another Premier League campaign? I think Brendan Aaronson, as we said, has maybe more so than anybody, shown that whatever ceiling we thought it was, it was higher. But again, I think you're back to saying, okay, and can he take a whole another step? Does he have that in the toolbox? And even if he doesn't, he's still making the most of his particular talent and his opportunities, but yeah, I think he can take another step. I'm not sure he's yet hit that ceiling and maybe I'm influenced by what he's done recently and therefore I have more confidence that he can take an extra step or he does have a little bit more ceiling room if you will. Manchester City licking their runes from that community shield defeated the hands of Arsenal. They were opened their campaign against Tyler Adams and Bournemouth, who finished six last season. They're in the Europa League and they're now managed by Marco Arosa City, managed by Enzo Maresca. Yeah, so I mean, obviously we talk about the American Angle, we will be looking at it from an American Angle, but if you're Man City and you just got smacked around, and I'm not going to say that they're all bent out of shape of it, but this is where you kind of need to come back and write the ship internally for the individual players, for the team, and for this new direction, if you will, certainly new leadership of Man City. And so if they were to follow it up in a game that actually means something where there are points on the line, that would not be good for them, but from an American perspective, I would love to see it. There is a new documentary that just came out in the UK chronicling, Pep Gore, the Ola's last two seasons as Man City manager, I'm sure we'll get it here soon in the U.S. And everybody's raving about it and they're saying, Pep comes off like a total basket case the last two seasons. He was dealing with a divorce and that kind of messed him up. And the main takeaway was that City was probably glad to see him go at this point because he just mentally wasn't in a place anymore where he could coach this team. We'll see how Madeska does off to a terrible starting to community shield, but you know, we talked about the Modigan documentary. I'm now very curious based on what I've read to watch this Pep doc as well. I am too, but I'm not surprised. I mean, when you talk about some of these, you know, these geniuses and these incredible minds, it's sometimes it's inevitable that you were going to have baggage and you are going to be broken in other parts of your psyche and your life and your life. And you know, Pep, even the glimpses that we get of him oftentimes are incredibly emotional about things and it can come in spurts, but there's no denying the fact that he feels every moment of the game and therefore takes to heart every single win, loss up and down. And you know, that even keel that you kind of anticipate or in many cases want from a head coach, that's not something that he does, but maybe that's what makes him great. Fulham will take on Chelsea, Jedi Robinson in company. And interestingly enough, this is a battle of the two guys at coach Ramadrid last season because Alvedo Aderbello is now the Fulham boss and Shabi Alonzo is in charge of Chelsea. So interesting match up to start the season. Yeah, I mean, I think Chelsea, yeah, I'm going to go with, I'm going to go with Chelsea here. Yeah, I'll go with Chelsea here, starting it off and starting it off in the right direction. A couple of notes on Chelsea's Rome Pedro was phenomenal in the preseason, twisting the knife even more for folks like me who thought he should have been in the Brazil World Cup squad or still puzzled on Chelsea than bring him. And then a reminder, I did purchase an Estavale jersey when I was in New York with my parents so I'm kind of wondering about his role with Shabi Alonzo there at Chelsea as we know have a million guys. So I'm hoping that that purchase doesn't end up looking stupid because he sits on the bench the whole year. We'll see, but Jedi Robinson, we know when fit, very good at this level, but he's had some injury problems of late. What are you expecting to see from him this season? Yeah, I kind of sucked because I don't think we saw the best of Jedi Robinson this summer in the World Cup. And I'm not saying that he was playing hurt, but you know, that past year, and you know, all the starts and stops certainly didn't, didn't help. And you know, keep in mind, Monsey, there was, there was a time. And who knows, maybe that time could come again if he kind of gets back into that consistency of being, you know, arguably best left-sided player, defensive left-sided player in the, in the EPL. But yeah, I, I still love him. I still love him as a player. And again, maybe I'm still living a little bit in the past, but he can, he can come out here and, you know, if he starts off on the right foot, and like we said, if, if he is healthy and healthy consistently, he has the ability, he has shown the ability to be that great left-sided player. And I, I just love him when he's up and down. All right. So Maraska and Charge of Man City, Shabia Lanzo and Charge of Chelsea, Iraola now in Charge of Liverpool. Michael Kerak is first full season with Man United. It's a lot of the other top teams in somewhat of transition, which is leading people to think Arsenal are clear favorites to repeat based on what you saw in the community show. Are you on that page? Do you think Arsenal begin this season as the clear cut favorites? Based on that first game, you mean? Well, I mean, that was sort of the feeling going in and certainly they did nothing to dispel that. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I, I, I think so, but I would put money on them, not repeating. Oh, interesting. So you would take the field, you don't think they're, yes, I would, I would take the field. I just, it's, you know, I do think that they have, you know, turned a corner and gotten over a hump, whatever, whatever you want to call it from a psychological standpoint. I just don't know if they have it, it's not that they're not hungry and certainly not that they're, they're not talented. I just, it's just such a long season. And I feel like it, it took so much to get over that, that hurdle, that hump, oftentimes that mental hump that I don't know. I mean, and again, I don't think that they're, they're going to be complacent. I don't think they're going to rest on the loils. I just think that others will look at them, not in awe, if that makes sense. They will look at them and say, they are still vulnerable, but you're certainly going to have to raise your level because of the confidence that they have and should have given what happened last year. You know, given this whole Dodgers, Lakers, ownership, Misha guys, Arsenal is now the team that Tripp goes to for some stability. I mean, that's like an island of tranquility and a sea of tempests for him. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. What else we got? Now, Brighton have acquired Canadian promised David. And when Sean Sullivan mentioned this on the Zoom call yesterday, that got you hot about, well, how many Canadians are there in the Premier League versus Americans versus Mexicans? So Sean Sullivan has been crunching those numbers for all the top leagues. So we're going to do it for each one starting here with the Premier League. The numbers are in the EPL four Canadians, six Americans, zero Mexicans. What do you make of that? Four Canadians and we've talked about, you know, what Jesse Marsh has done there. And, you know, the trajectory that I think in general has been positive. So I think that's a good thing. I think it's also reflective of Major League soccer and a good feather in their cap. Six, we talked about the players here and we've talked about the pathway and the, that's not, yes, I'm not yet ready to call it a pipeline, but certainly the pathway and some of it's going through the championship and going up there. But the Mexico thing is really interesting because we saw this Mexico team this summer and we always attach notions of, okay, this is a new generation and certainly some really young good players. But maybe it's a little, well, I guess old Brazilian in that it's not something that's as attractive to Mexican players when I'm talking about the EPL or it's a combination of that plus them just not being viewed at yet as consistently, as consistently good. So it is, it is dramatic though and stark when you look at six for the US, four for Canada and zero for our friends Mexico. And we are in the middle of a transfer window still. So it's fluid. So by the time you have this pod and next there to there could have been a signing that altered those numbers. But as of this taping Sean crunched the numbers and that's what they are city also gets underway this upcoming weekend, AC Milan will be away to Torino, Policic back in training. We're not sure about his availability for this game and who knows what Musa's role is going to be under Ruben on but he nevertheless, just in general going to this campaign. How do you feel about those two Americans, Policic and Musa? Wait, he's back in training because of a long summer or like what? Because of the the injury that, yes, I think there is a particular fact in through the World Cup. Yeah, I mean, you know, for those that listened and have listened over the last couple of weeks, nothing has changed. We recognize the talent because he has shown it and this isn't like living off of past greatness. Okay, this was this time last year. He started, you know, arguably one of the best halves of a season that we've seen in a long time from an American. So he certainly has that in him. It's just a matter of, you know, can he replicate something like that? And can he replicate it? After all the stuff that's happened, obviously, to change a coach and everything going on. And, you know, he can't do it himself. So is he surrounded by players that make him better and that he makes better going forward with this new version of AC Milan? So just, it's still a lot of questions. I still back him. I think there is almost now a comfort element of Milan, even, you know, through the bad times that he has had. He understands how they play. He understands what the country and the culture and obviously what city I is. And I think it fits his quote unquote style, maybe better than other places. So everything is there for him. He just has to stay healthy and, you know, I guess not have a Christmas break. Our buddy Zach Bennebede, a big AC Milan fan who works at Fox Italian fella. He texted me very excitedly a couple of days ago. There were rumors about AC Milan signing Endrick from around Madrid. But it doesn't sound like there's anything to it. The story today was Liverpool potentially going after Endrick. But if you read the Madrid media, they're pretty sure Endrick's going to stay. So make of that what you will. Wes and McKinney and Juventus, they begin away to Frossi Noni. I mean, we should take three points. Western McKinney should play. He should start and he should hopefully start and we'll talk a little bit about him later. But start yet another successful campaign for this Juventus, Juventus team. Now, Weston, how Weston does and how Juventus does, those sometimes are two different things. It was almost a, it was almost a moment where there where if everybody played up to their level, the way that Weston does and even beyond their level, maybe at times this, this Juventus team would be unstoppable. So Weston's doing his job. Defending champions Inter begin against Monza. The last four seasons in city ads gone Napoli Inter, Napoli Inter for the title. So what do you think? Does the pattern continue and Napoli wins it this year? Inter repeats or somebody else, AC Milan Juventus. Napoli, by the way, coached by Max Alegre, who was one of the two Serie A titles in his day. All right, the back and forth stops and Inter does it again. And then the US Mexico, Canada count that you're so into in city. It's two for Canada, five for the US and two for Mexico. Two for Canada, five for the US and two for Mexico. Once again, US leading the way. And only two for Mexico. That's interesting to me. I would think stylistically that city ad would be much more conducive. It much more of a like for like type of situation. But this also again goes back to the fact that when you talk about League of Max, and what they have done, the money that they pay, sometimes it means that players aren't looking over at these greener pastures at times, from oftentimes from a money standpoint, but even at times maybe from a competitive and lifestyle choice. So only two, huh? All right, well, listen, we'll take the opportunities over there. Next up La Liga, which as we talked about in our last show, a bit odd the way they've started their campaign. There were five matches this past weekend, including Rossing, Santander and Villarrao, which finished two, two Alex Freeman, a late sub in that one. And then today, Wednesday, there was a match, Athletica Madrid beat Malaga 2-0 at home, Canyon Leigh and Bayana with the goals, Johnny Cardoso, an unused sub in that one. And now there's a full slate of games is upcoming weekend, which is round two, but the first match for teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona, I guess the teams that didn't play yet are gonna make up those games later on. Nevertheless, one of the matches is upcoming weekend is Athletica Madrid hosting Villarrao. So you've got a potential for Johnny versus Alex Freeman. All right, bring it on. Well, both of them in different ways are facing challenges. Obviously, both of them in different ways are coming off of very, very different types of summer. You know, Alex Freeman is just trying to get on the field. You know, the two minutes here, whatever, that's all fine and well. But he was one of the guys that came out looking almost, you know, arguably it was others, or certainly one of the better guys to come out of the world cup, as opposed to Johnny, who we know suffered injuries, wasn't on the team, and is facing a lot of stiff competition with Villarrao to get into that lineup. So I think for both of them, for different reasons, it would be surprising to see them starting. And then it's just about, well, when they look down the bench, what kind of minutes are they getting? And what's the scenarios in which they are being put in it? Rao Madrid, who are managed by Jose Merinha, will be away to Espanol, Barcelona, who are captain by Rafinha this season, will be away to Elche, Barcelona beat Alalí today in the Gampur trophy, which is this curtain razor friendly, they play every year to sort of introduce the team to their fans. Barcelona have won it the last couple of seasons, we know it's pretty much between Barcelona and Rao Madrid and Spain, so which way do you lean? The Jose Merinha still have that magic, does he wrestle the title back to Rao Madrid, or Barcelona keeps it again? Yeah, this is a heart head thing, right? Because my heart says, please, you'll say, make it interesting, make it crazy, make it insane, and keep it close. That's what you're there. And my head says, can the special one conjure up something again? And even, yeah, I think either way, it'll be box office, either to watch this as much as Rao Madrid could be resurrected, at least resurrected to a point where they're competing with Barcelona now, week to week, and it's back and forth and it's a volley, or if it's an absolute, complete disaster, even that in and of itself because of Jose Merinha can be as entertaining as anything else from a success and failure's perspective. Barcelona, we know, added ruddery. I like everything else about their squad, except they don't really have a center forward right now. They lost Lewandowski, who of course came to MLS to play with Chicago and then fed on Torres, who scored the game winning goal in the World Cup Final, he moved to PSG. They really wanted to sign Julian Alvarez from Athletico Madrid, Athletico, not budging there. They're running out of time this summer. They might need to pivot to somebody else. I've heard Yocares, I've heard Suarez, the Colombian in place for sporting. Nevertheless, as these two rosters sit right now, I would lean Rao Madrid because of that, but if Barcelona are able between now and the end of the transfer window to sign a quality center forward, then I think I would lean Barcelona, but they do have this one glaring hole right now that they have to address. Yeah, I mean, I know there's money involved on a certain point you've got to walk away, but this is still Barcelona. And so if Barcelona can't sign players, then again, they got something wrong going on off the field. Yeah, they added a game. Especially now with an opportunity, and like you said, a hole to fill up top. If you're Barcelona, it's like, hey, we need somebody up top. There are only a certain amount of Barcelona level strikers out there, so you better be in for all of them. They did sign Anthony Gordon, who we watch play for England at the World Cup. We scored in the semis against Argentina. They signed Ademi from Dortmund. So I don't know, they might just go with a fluid thing, but with those two guys, Lameen and Rafinha and just not play with the center forward, but I don't know, I think they'd want somebody up there that can do center forward things. Frankly, if this was going to be the situation, they might as well have kept Marcus Rashford because he's a guy that actually can play in that center forward role more than any of the guys I mentioned. But again, we'll see what happens here in the last 10 days or so of this window. And then in terms of the US, Mexico, Canada breakdown in La Liga, it's two for Canada, two for the US, and two for Mexico, the two US or the two we talked about, they'll go head to head this upcoming weekend, Johnny and Alex Freeman. Okay, and then over there for Canada, it was, Buchanan Olua Shae, yeah. Okay, all right, that's interesting. Well, so there it's a, you know, even match, two, two, and two in this, you know, inter-country rivalry with it, we have going on with our friends to the North and our friends south, yeah. But like I said, from US perspective, it's just about getting those guys on the field. And it's not gonna be easy. And then in France, we know PSG have won it the last five seasons and 12 of the last 14. They finished six points above La Liga's last season. La Liga did just beat him in the super cup. Nevertheless, I think we both expect PSG to retain the trophy for yet another year. They begin their campaign against Ren. From an American standpoint, in this opening weekend, you've got Marseille against Strasbourg, that's Timmy Wei against Geo Reina. Oh, well, here we go. I mean, we've talked, you know, we've talked so much about both of these players for different reasons. Obviously, this is kind of last chance Saloon, although we keep saying that for Geo Reina. This should be a new lease on life for him. I mean, I'm hoping that he is starting. I'm hoping that he is involved. I'm hoping that he looks interested. And I hope that he looks not just rejuvenated, but almost appreciative of this opportunity that he is getting. And then Tim Wei, who knows what his future is with Pochettino and the national team. But I think this move in general for him to France has been good overall. So, yeah, and to your point, I don't think anybody's picking against PSG. I mean, other than, I guess it would be the Bundesliga. There's nothing that's more of a kind of clear cut, fade a complete, if you will. The Bundesliga, which gets underway the following weekend, so we'll tackle them next week on the show. Staying with Liga, Bob Bradley's former club, Léahavs, will take on Fullerian Balaghan and Monaco, who are now managed by Brazilian Felipe Luis. So they're a team I'm gonna have my eye on, assuming Balaghan stays this season. We'll see what he can do with Monaco. What did he have last year? Let's see, 19 goals, five assists. Ooh, monastic chances that Flow Balaghan gets 20 goals. I mean, that's 19 goals. That's, even, I mean, I think we both love Flow Balaghan. I'm not sure he gets over that 20 mark. And with all the, with the talk swirling around him and the whole summer and everything, everything like that, I mean, look, even close to 20, he's still sitting pretty. When we were talking about Barcelona, needing a center for it, I almost made a cheeky comment about Balaghan. I do wonder how high his stock is right now. I mean, the fact that PSG were even sniffing around, Tottenham, so we'll see what happens here the last 10 days or so of the window. But no, if he sticks around, I think he'll have a very, very good campaign. I don't know if I'd put an exact number on it, but I see no reason if he stays healthy that he's not going to keep producing there in Liga as he has the last few years. Can I just ask you something? Yeah. Is it cheeky because of the lack of cachet or is it cheeky because he's American? And maybe it's a little of both. And maybe a little of both. Maybe I'm not yet there where I can wrap my head around in American being the starting center forward for Barcelona, but maybe I need to get over that. All I'm saying, Lossy, is that in this particular, not just case, but position, where it's not a subjective thing necessarily. You score the goals or you don't score the goals. In the position, we just talked about them needing somebody specifically to play up top. It's not as crazy as you make it out to be, given his numbers. And yes, it's a step up, but almost every place that you go, if you are going to Barcelona, it's a step up going to Barcelona for anybody. And I know it's not necessarily the cachet of others coming from different places, but if he was coming from, I don't know, your Brazilian's over there coming from the Dutch League, or Divisier or anything like that. So all I'm saying is I'm just pushing back a little in that it's not as cheeky as you might think. Maybe a few years ago, or five or 10 years ago, it'd be more cheeky, but I don't think it's necessarily as cheeky, specifically because he does, and is done at a level, the most difficult thing to do in the game, which is to score goals. And it doesn't matter what your passport is, if you score goals, people will value you, and they should value you here. My cheekiness rubbed you the wrong way. Yeah, a little bit, yeah. To lose, we'll face Leone. That's Mark McKenzie against Tanner Tessmann. Mark McKenzie in the news, because he is spending his last few months with to lose. In January, he will move to back to MLS to play for the Philadelphia Union. That's generating some interesting reactions on X, as you might expect. There's a type of US fan they can't wrap their heads around a US player in his prime in a top five European league going to MLS. Sean Sullivan, by the way, is one of those. He called us move befuddling. Let's say you. Well, first off, I'm curious, MLS, what do you think? Why in January, other than, you know, we have this sprint season coming up from Major League Soccer, and did they need him to continue to play through the end of the year, or, you know, was it a contractual thing? I know, these are all questions that I have. Either way, I think we talked about it before. I think that this is a, obviously, there's a sentimental part of him coming home, but also, I think, where is he going to get this type of money right now with the player that he is? I still think that he has plenty in him, but, you know, this was an opportunity, and we've seen it many times over the years with some players that have been over in Europe, you know, to come back for some bigger money, maybe even bigger money going down the line when MLS starts to change, but I don't know. I mean, I'm not going to get excited about this. This is an assigning that everybody should be owing and owing about. It's just a solid, solid player that you know exactly what you're going to get from, who I think is recognizing, and smartly recognizing, the opportunity that he has at this moment. So we've talked about post-World Cup US International's potentially going back to MLS, but Mackenzie isn't a guy that moves the needle for you. You want something bigger than this, who would be a name that's out there that you think realistically might make that sort of move, and that would really move the needle for you. Well, I mean, there was a time, you know, the Geo Reinas, and I know a lot of people have talked about the policy. It would be somebody that you recognize from this US men's national team, you know, having played this past summer and over the years. And so that's still only a small handful of players, but that's the type of thing. And as I mentioned before, I do think that this move, making Mackenzie a designated player, and look, there's nothing wrong with having defenders, you know, be paid a lot of money and be, you know, put up on the pedestal that is a designated player. But I think that this is with an eye to the future in that I think everybody recognizes that come next year, and certainly as that calendar change happens in the fall of 2027, that owners in MLS are going to be able to do more. And this might not look as, like I said, as crazy as it does in this moment. Leon, by the way, also involved in Champions League qualifying, Testman started for them this week and their one-one draw way to Fener Bache. And now we'll see what Testman can do at the weekend and League on play. He's another guy that we thought had a good chance to be in the World Cup squad. He wasn't. There might have been some fitness issues there. There was a bit of mystery surrounding his omission. Nevertheless, he has a chance to impress Pogetino early in this cycle, if he plays well with Leon. Um, all right. So where are we at now, Mossy? I want to make sure we're all over the place here. Did you do your, your players in Liga? No, so here's the count in Liga. Canada for US six, Mexico zero. Oh my goodness. Again, Mexico shut out over there in Europe. I think France and both the style of play, and I also think in not just the culture of French culture, but the culture of development of young players, I think it lends itself to a logical type of move and an easier type of transition for some MLS players and other than PSG and maybe a couple of others. The quality is of a level where you can argue oftentimes it is a step up, but it's not a massive step up. So I don't think that these numbers are necessarily surprising by any stretch of the imagination. But again, Mexico with a big old zero. All right, so we'll go over Bundesliga next week, but we've just done four of the top five European leagues. So I think there's enough here to some, draw some big picture conclusions. So going into this campaign, if you had to identify, who do you think will be the Yanks abroad MVP of this season? So I think your safe money is on a Baligan or Weston McKenny. You know, again, Baligan is all relative to scoring goals. And as I said before, it's the hardest thing to do, and therefore it's the most valuable thing. But it's also kind of the easiest to have fall through your fingers. And sometimes it's not even because you're doing anything different. So if I had to back someone to have an MVP season, it's again, Weston McKenny, you know, just grinding through and showing week after week after week how valuable he is, popping up and scoring goals, popping up and being involved, playing multiple positions. So he's always valuable regardless of what time of year it is or what's happening for the team. So yeah, either of those, I think those are your safe, your safe money, but I'd go with Weston right now. And yeah, as we talked about on a recent pod, this is the first offseason I can remember where there haven't been any stories of him leaving. And he hasn't had to prove himself all over again. He seems very settled there. He has a manager in Spaletti who loves him. So I agree. I think Weston is primed for a big campaign. What about a dark horse performer this season? Who are you looking at for that? Captain Buccio, how about him over there with Vanetzi? I mean, he is, you know, because it's been, you know, Sidia, Sidia B, and you know, what Sidia B is or isn't in the eyes of a lot of Americans who do or don't follow the game, you know, he's kind of just been doing the work and really bedded in and become a part of that culture of that team and of soccer in Italy. And it's wonderful to see. And so that could be a dark horse in, you know, playing for this team. Look, they're going to struggle. It's not going to be easy for them. But he has obviously endeared himself so much so that they look at him as a leader. He is, I think, the player that he is going to be for the rest of his career. And that's, you know, it's a very technical player, good player, smart player. Like he's always been, he's become a little bit more refined. And at times a little bit more ruthless. And I certainly think that he has benefited from his time in Italy. So yeah, there's one, a dark horse for a performer of the year. That's a good shout. You have an etchhead begin this campaign against Lecce. Now, are you ruling out him working his way into the national team picture? He's still only 24. He's been called up in the past, but you don't really see him at that level, especially with some of these young players coming up that everybody's excited about. Yeah, I mean, because again, I try to put myself in the shoes of Pocetino. And you don't want to rule out anyone. And you always have to respect the fact that players can change. They can go up and down. And yeah, he's still young. He's not even in necessarily the conventional wisdom of the prime of your career, which is, you know, around 28, where the physical and the mental are kind of on the same level. So yeah, I guess he could be better. But again, then I'm Pocetino saying, well, nothing's really changed. He is what he is. And maybe for another coach or another time that would work. But the way that he plays does it fit. And can he adjust to whatever Pocetino wants to do? That's a question. And I worry that for him, the answer is no. Now, if he's lights out, and by the way, lights out for a team that just staying in City Hall would be an accomplishment, I think that says a lot about the player. And I think that maybe more so says a lot about the mentality. And maybe there would be an appreciation from Pocetino that, OK, I get what he is as a player. Maybe there's a Berhalter-esque type of, not as a player, but of the mentality of going, suffering. There you go, the word that Pocetino loves to use, that that suffering has made him a better player who still does the same things, but he does them better, if that makes sense. And then last category, we're calling this Now or Never. Who is a US player in Europe this season that you think the pressure is really on to finally perform? I mean, I think you have to go with Georena. And we talked earlier about Jose Mareño and that he is kind of must see. I can't quit Geo. I'm so curious. And at times you can be so frustrating as a player. And yet I'm here for this experiment, again. But this is, I guess we keep saying Now or Never, but this has got to be Now or Never. And the next move would be back in MLS. And I'd still be here for that and be interested to see what that looks like. But again, I said I try to put myself in Pocetino's shoes, try to put myself in the shoes of Georena. And what motivates Georena at this point? I would think this new opportunity in a different country, different culture, different language, all of that kind of stuff, that can be wonderful. And that can be that whole new lease on life that you'd get. I hope it takes here. So yeah, Georena for Now or Never. Speaking of MLS, we're taping this pot on Wednesday afternoon. It's a bit tricky. There's a full slate of games tonight. We can't really talk about them because by the time you hear this pod, they will have been played. One of them that has my attention, Philadelphia, Inter, Miami, Kevin Sullivan and Lino Messy, both involved. You've got the Red Bulls hosting Supporter Show leaders, Nashville, Mammetti and Hall starting that one. You've got rivalries, Sporting KC St. Louis, LA Galaxy San Jose, which Kobe Jones still rides for as the best rivalry in MLS. I don't know about that. But circling back to Kevin Sullivan, did you see Tim Howard's take on that dinky little pot he does with Landon Donovan? He said that Kevin Sullivan, he's all in on Kevin. He said he should start virtually every US game between now and 2030. Don't waste any more time. We've got to start bleeding this kid in. He wants him arriving at the next World Cup as a fully established star. What do you make of that? Yeah, I got a lot of time for Tim Howard. I think he's really interesting and articulate in the way that he talks about the game and the way that he thinks about the game. And he does it, like I said, in an entertaining way. When it comes to Kevin Sullivan and the way that Tim has talked about him, I get what he is saying. And I guess it goes back to this whole point of, you know, you dance with the ones that you bring, right? Or the wrong you. And in this case, what you're doing is being almost exclusive. And this is the group, ride or die. And you just got to be damn sure that if you're going to ride with Kevin Sullivan, that he's not a false, you know, a false prophet, I guess it would be, that you're, because you're putting all of these eggs into this basket. And so again, you better be damn sure that this is the right basket, because we're going to have other baskets. And as Tim knows full well, you know, some baskets or some eggs take a little bit more time to develop. I do agree that if you are in a position to be making that decision, in this case, it would be Pachatino. If you truly believe that this player is special, then yeah, you move heaven and earth. And yes, we talk about sports being a meritocracy. And in many ways it is, and in many, many more ways than real life and other things in life. However, it's not a complete meritocracy. Players are treated differently. And so again, if you see Kevin Sullivan as this is a player that if we treat him right and do the right things, we are going to get the best out of him. And that best looks like nothing that we've seen before, or you know, gets to the landings and the, you know, the, the, the politics of level. Then yeah, you do everything that you can to nurture that. And part of nurturing that is letting them fall down on their face every once in a while. And to make mistakes, but being consistently put back because of the belief of how good they are. So yeah, I, I understand what he's saying. But if and when it doesn't come good, it's not for lack of trying. And certainly you deserve credit for having the balls. And I guess the bravery to back your horse. But if it doesn't, if it doesn't go well, the problem is that there might have been others that could have benefited and benefited more from that type of approach. But that's, you know, that's the way of, of all development. If it's, if it's done with an idea of identifying the best at a very young age, when a lot of stuff can change, both on and off the field. And like I said, putting all of those eggs in that, in that basket. But, you know, maybe that's the way to go going forward. Like if your US has a window coming up and if you're putting together a squad for that window and to include Kevin Sullivan in there, you have to sacrifice an errand center as in Dejas, who might be better players today, but Kevin has a much higher ceiling than them. They kind of are what they are at this point. And you think earlier you bleed in Kevin, you might get that reward at the end of the row where he becomes this star player. So are you willing right now to sacrifice an errand center as in Dejas to get Kevin Sullivan in the US squad? We are coming into September of 2026, bossy, after this World Cup, not just a World Cup, but a home World Cup. There has never been a more perfect time, too, not just make change, but to make fundamental and massive change. Because I think that Puccettino will be given the benefit of the doubt. And people, like I said, on the last show, people want to see fundamental and massive change. And so yeah, I think you bring them all in because nobody deserves a reward for what happened this summer. Nobody, even the players that played well, nobody deserves a reward. That's done, bookend it, it's done. We have moved on to something else. And this new era, still under Puccettino, but this new era of Puccettino, if it's going to culminate in something successful, then the decisions have to be made now. And so yeah, I'm willing to, it's not even a sack, I don't even look at it as a sacrifice. You know who these players are, whether it's in Dejas or anybody else. Here, how much are you going to learn? Or how much is he going to be different? Now, if you're completely changing the system, okay, there is an argument to be made for some of those players that might look different in this new system. But I just think, again, it goes back to messaging. We talked a little about that earlier in the week and last week, the message that this sends, if you bring in a whole new crop of young and hungry players, unrefined, admittedly, that's, that can be a very powerful message to the outside, to all of us on the outside, also internally to the players that have been there before who want to continue to be there. Lastly, Atlanta, away to Minnesota tonight, it looked like they were going to add Braille and Bolo, but that deal has fallen through, any thoughts on that. Yeah, sucks. It was going to be a really interesting, sexiest type of name and obviously the money associated. So, you know, this will not be the first, nor the last time that MLS gets used. And I say that, not as a pejorative, I mean, if you're smart, if you're an agent, if you're a player for that matter, you know, playing one off the other and recognizing your leverage, that's part of, that's part of the game. And if you feel bent out of shape as a club, well, then I would argue that you're incredibly naive. So, it didn't work with Braille and Bolo, but you shot your shot, you missed, get right back up there and keep shooting. And that is it. All right, let's take a quick break. When we come back, it's time for Ask a Lexi. Okay, welcome back. It's time for Ask a Lexi, that part of the show where you send in your comments, questions and concerns. Keep in mind that our handle on the old social media platforms out there is SOTU with a Lexi. You can use that hashtag Ask a Lexi, or you can call into our state of the union hotline. Oh, yes, 657-549-2297. That is 657-549-2297. Mossy, what are the folks wanna know today? We have a voice mail, let's take a listen. Hey, Lexi, hey, Mossy. This is Matt calling from Schittgart, Germany, originally from Huntsville, Alabama. For all the talk of the Americanization of soccer ruining the sport, I think there are some things soccer could feel from other sports. On Sunday night football, the starters introduced themselves on screen. Name, school, hometown, whatever. Why not have the USMNT do that with name and hometown? The foreign race players could say the US town they most associate with. Imagine Chris Richards, Hoover, Alabama. Casual fans would instantly feel more connected. Like, wait, we've got a guy from Alabama on the national team. Thanks guys. Matt, love it. Donka, over there in Stuttgart by way of Alabama. I love the way that you're thinking. I think it's a great idea. You know, we try, when I say we at Foxen or whoever is broadcasting to introduce you and let you get to know the players that you're seeing on the field, because we all recognize that there's a lot of people coming into the tent that have never met a lot of these players. But that kind of tradition that we see in particular when it comes to college football and the introduction, it humanizes many of these players. So I love that. I think there's a real and a much longer discussion and debate when it comes to the Americanization of the sport. I think that there are plenty of people certainly around the world, but I really don't care about that. But there's a lot of people, even in our own country here, that are fans of the game, that part of what has drawn them to the game and part of what excites them and part of the romance of the game is that it's international. It's that it's global. It's that it's not we are the best when it comes to the men's side or that we invented the game or that we have the most popular version of soccer. That's attractive to many people. And I get it. I'm certainly one of those. And they bristle and they worry. And they whine if and when they see things that are, quote, unquote, American being brought into the game, both on and off the field for that matter, whether it's the way that we have playoffs or American ownership. Even the water timeouts, breaks, quarters, whatever, you want to call them that happened in this past world cup. Because this was happening in the United States, it was just kind of guilty by association and that this was an American thing. There are some things out there. I am partial to the 35 yard shootout for those that were around in the beginning of MLS. You may remember that. I think it's much more fair and accurate representation of what you just saw in that first 90 or 120 minutes. I think it's more interesting. Although I recognize that a shootout, a lot of people come flocking in when a shootout is on television to watch. So there's a lot of different things out there that we could possibly have. I know Massey, you've talked about the clock counting down and how you think that that is something, an Americanization, if you will, that could be incorporated. And a lot of these things, people secretly around the world will say, yeah, that's kind of a good idea. Yeah, I didn't mind that. That was kind of good. And it's almost, again, the messenger matters as much as the message. And so if any of these things were ever to be implemented, you'd almost kind of want it to come in order for it to actually gain widespread and global acceptance. It would almost have to come from outside the US because the reality is the world often looks at what the US does with a skeptical eye. And when it's in particular when it comes to soccer, something that lacks credibility or validity. Massey, you want the clock to count down? Yes, I'd like to see that. But to go back to Matt's point, the great Brad Zager during the US World Cup games this summer, the one note he gave me is to try to weave into the scripts, the hometown of these players because he does think that makes them more relatable to a US audience rather than mentioning what club they play for in Europe. And it's not even if you're into the game, I mean, when I hear Michigan or Detroit in anything, I haven't lived there in decades. But if I hear that, my ears immediately perk up. I am more liable to be interested in what is you are saying on the television if you have mentioned something like that. It's human nature, it's natural, it's cultural, it's tribal. And so yeah, I mean, and this is nothing new as you said, Massey. We've been doing this for a year, but maybe in a more type of formal way. And here's something that MLS could do very, very easily is have that type of moment when the players themselves are introducing themselves. One would get how they want their name to be pronounced. And two, maybe we would get also a connection to where they are from domestically. And MLS obviously will be internationally too, but even that draws in more people. So good call, thank you Matt for listening and watching over these years. Stay safe, have a wonderful time over there in Stuttgart. And hopefully we'll see you back here state side soon enough. Anything else, Massey? That is it. All right, another quick break will come back. We'll finish up the show with my one for the road. Okay, welcome back to the end of our show and at the end of each and every show. I give you my one for the road. Massey, I don't know if you saw this over the last couple of days. Some footage came out of the Cowboys of Dallas. This is would be in the NFL, the National Football League, playing the Saints of Norlands, all right? In a preseason, it's not even a scrimmage. It's kind of like a joint training, all right? And my son plays football, so I was just introduced to this concept where they bring these two teams together. And you're not actually playing each other, but you're kind of training together. Anyway, all sorts of craziness ensued and there was, you know, a big fight. And look, you got some very big guys, a lot of guys that are kind of trying to make the team and trying to impress and a lot of testosterone flying around and all that. And like I said, some big strong guys going at it. And so there was a back and forth and then a big old melee and Donnie Brook and fight ultimately and people throwing punches to the extent that you can with guys that are in pads and in helmets, but they started grabbing the face masks. And I was, you know, I don't know what the protocol is or the unwritten rules are when it comes to American football. But it just seems kind of weak ass for you to grab the face mask. I would feel like that that is beyond the pale. You're not supposed to, you shouldn't be able to do that. I get it that it's kind of right there. But once you've done that, you have kind of an unfair advantage. At least in hockey, they flip off their helmets. Anyway, all of this is to say is it got me thinking and somebody asked me over there on the old X machine about the physical nature and the difference in physical, you know, play of these two sports. And on the surface, yes, you can look at it and they couldn't be any more different in terms of, you know, the raw aggression, you know, even like I said before, the protection and the necessary protection when it comes to helmets and shoulder pads and pads all over the place in American football as opposed to soccer where you're basically naked. I mean, if you come to blows and if you square up and if you got, you know, if you're going to go and edit, either in a training or in a game type of situation as a soccer player, there's nothing there to protect you. You know, and you take a swing at somebody, you know, you could do some real damage. Don't spit, by the way. Spitting is the absolute worst. I don't know if that's just soccer, you know, but at least in soccer, I can't think of anything worse than spitting. Anyway, you know, it got me thinking again about the physical nature of these two sports. And you know, oftentimes when the compare and contrast is done, and I think fairly so at times, you look at football and say, well, that is a whole nother world of physicality and brutal aggression that's going on there. But I also think that maybe some of that aggression and that physical nature of sports is lost. I will say this, over the course of this summer, having talked to so many people that don't follow soccer and just kind of as we say we're brought into the tent and watched it, the necessity to be physically fit, not just the running and, you know, the cardio and all that. But the physical nature that people saw that they weren't aware of, that was fun to see. It is a whole lot more physically demanding, a whole lot more bruising and sometimes people even realize and the hits that players take, you know, you look at a guy like Messi, his ability to ride off tackles. I mean, there's a reason why they call them tackles even though they're in this case happening with the legs is amazing, but you know, it can leave a mark and it can, you know, demand of you that you are able to rebound from a physical perspective. We've had plenty of fights, seen them time and time again. You know, again, sometimes it's guys just, you know, looking to, you know, make a statement, you know, guys looking to rile either themselves or others up in the moment. Some of them have been bad and in that case, it's taken care of very, very, very quickly. But the one constant, I think in all of sports, is I, you know, I've been there many, many times where a coach, while on the surface will say, no, that's not what we're doing. I don't want to see any of that. I know that underneath he or she actually appreciates and recognizes at times the benefit and the necessity of having those types of moments. And it could be because of motivation, it could be because of camaraderie, it could be because of the culture that you're trying to foster. You just got to be, you got to be really, really careful. Anyway, it just goes back to that, that scene that I saw because it seems just so prolific when it comes to American football and even much more encouraged. But I don't think it's different, but not as different as people think it is when it comes to the game of soccer. Mosse, anything before we go? Just very quickly, if you watched our last pod, you would know that your mother very generously gifted me a mini replica of the Titanic. We've exchanged emails about it. She added a bit more context to the gift. There's actually a signature by Milvina Dean who was the youngest passenger on board at two months old. She died in 2009. So the replica also includes her signature, which is very cool. Yeah, I sent your mother a note thanking her, a very appreciative, and you know, I've had Titanic on the brain because of that gift and because of the Broadway show I went to see my parents. I did actually watch the James Cameron movie Titanic for the first time in many, many years the other night, just threw it on because, you know, I don't know. I wanted to see if my opinion on it would change after all these years. It's funny. Well, you didn't think it was great in the moment, so it can't have held up. Well, that movie has a weird legacy because it did win 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, but over the years, it's now looked upon as this kind of cheesy romcom. You know, if we ever interview Leonardo Caprio and I hope Sean is working on that, I would ask him like, is he proud to have started them? What kind of relationship does he have with the movie Titanic? He's gone on to do much more, quote, unquote, serious films. And, but I mean, that is the movie that made him a star. I don't know that the movie Titanic has a weird legacy to me. Yeah, I watched it and I've watched it over the years. I still will argue for it. I still think that it holds up. And I'm not talking about, you know, could they both have survived? Like that doesn't, and I don't care about that, you know, could they both have held on to the, under the board? That's fine and that's all good. Or, you know, the old lady throwing it back. Why is she throwing the jewel back and all that kind of stuff? I, first off, I love just the cinematic way that it starts in present day and then goes back. I thought that was really, really well done. I mean, look, there's gonna be cheesy moments, especially, you know, some of the, you know, the special effects and everything like that. I mean, times have changed. I'm not talking about, you know, the Jurassic Park type of look back or anything like that. But ultimately, it's still a love story. And I think that those endure, I think those stand the test of time. I do think that if you were, if we were to ask Leonardo, I think he would have an understood place in his heart for that. Would he have done some different things, or does he cringe maybe at different things going on? Yeah, but I think he understands how much he owes to that moment. Bill Simmons has this theory that the reason Leonardo DiCaprio can get all these young women is, every year there's a new generation of women who watch Titanic for the first time and fall in love with Leonardo DiCaprio. So. I said, all I have is one thing. Project Hail Mary, I finally got around to checking that out. I thought it was really, really good. Talk about a movie with a heart that you didn't think was going to have a heart in different ways than like ET and that kind of stuff. But, you know, still a sci-fi type of a situation. Thought it was really, really good in the way that they told the story and then the relationship between, you know, the two main characters, shall we say, in it. So I thought, yeah, two thumbs up for me. One last last thing, score update, Inter Miami leading Philadelphia 2-1, a guy named Lee and El Messi has just scored for Inter Miami. I think he's gonna be good. All right, well, leave it there, my friend. I bid you a dear from the wilds of Connecticut where I will be. Like I said, I'm heading down to DC this weekend for the incredible race. Can't wait to see what that just even looks like down there with these Grand Prix cars going around and around over there in the capital. It's gonna be fun. I have a full report on it, but I'll leave you with this. JFK sucks. The airport. Until, well, I guess it'll be next week. Keep reviewing, keep downloading, keep rating, keep subscribing, keep doing all different things that you do. Double fist, up and down over there on the old YouTube machine, subscribe, smash, smash, smash. We love when you do that. YouTube's and the Spotify's and the Apple's and the list goes on and on and on. Hit us up over there on social media. Hit us up on the state of the union. Hotline, all the different things where you can let us know how you're feeling. Agree, disagree, someplace in the middle, doesn't matter. All right, have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy your soccer, both on and off the field. We'll talk to you again next week and until then. And as always, my friends, size the day.
