Colin reacts to Argentina coming back down 2 goals to defeat Egypt as Lionel Messi continues to prove his bonafides as the world's best soccer player.
Former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel joins the show to explain how Team USA can improve their goalkeeping situation and why it’s fair to state Pulisic was disappointing in this World Cup.
Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena joins Colin to discuss why the team fell short against Belgium, if the US can find their own Erling Haaland and what coach Mauricio Pochettino needs to do to improve the team for the next World Cup.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
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at iHeartRadio station Guaranteed Human and now The Dodger Daily
with David Vasa.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Dalton Rushing came up with the walkoff broken bat basit
and he also was in the middle of a couple
of plays at the plate. One got a little testing
in the tenth inning with Cole Carrick.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
No, it wasn't bad. Maybe to him it was bad,
but it wasn't bad at automate.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
What'd you say to him?
Speaker 4 (00:51):
I said nothing about it. Don't worry. Make sure he
knows who I am.
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Rushing made a nice play to cut down a go
ahead run in the ninth inning on Hunter Goodman as well,
so he had his fingerprints all over last night's eight
to seven win in eleven innings for the Dodgers over
the Rockies. It was the first extra innings game the
Dodgers played in their first ninety two of the season.
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the Dodgers, I'm David Basset.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Broadcasting Law. This is law from Los Angeless to me.
Los Angeles has always been the best radio market in
the country.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
This is the Herd with Colin Cowherd.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Here anything you missed on AM five seventy LA Sports
dot com, that new technology thing, or on your smartphone
using iHeartRadio.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
We love LA, we love La. Oh, this could be
a great hour. Rad Friedel.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Arguably the greatest goalie in the history of this country.
The United States men's national team played in the Premier
League forever. Untact at one point started three hundred and
ten straight starts in the Premier League, best league in
the world. World Bruce Arena will stop by as well.
Argentina three to two over Egypt. They scored a flurry
of goals late MESSI had a couple wild that There's
(02:17):
gonna be a lot of controversy about one of the
Egyptian goals being taken away. There's gonna be a great
deal of controversy when you only have a tournament every
four years and it's knockout stage, sudden death, you're gonna
have it. You got to just kind of build it in.
And I'll say this, the US was eliminated. It was
(02:38):
ugly Forur to one lost to Belgium, and this is true.
When the postseason begins, your greatest flaws is any team
are exposed. And it was evident that our biggest weaknesses
was the goalkeeper. Matt Freese. Sorry it was Tim Howard
played thirteen years in the English Premier League, Brad Friedel
sixteen years in the EPL, Tasey Keller thirteen years in
(03:00):
top European leagues. Matt Freese is an MLS goalie and
looked the part. Sorry but it's true. He gave up
one embarrassing goal and another one here Tim Reem at
thirty eight. Again, we were concerned about athleticism and age
was physically overwhelmed. We saw it against Germany and the friendly.
(03:20):
Our defense, when exposed to elite playmakers and strikers, was
shockingly overwhelmed when pressure was applied last night we folded.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
Like wet cardboard.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
And against Germany and the friendly and against Belgium it
was ninety seconds in Belgium had so much space, never
rushed so much time right out of the shoot. Paraguay, Australia,
Bosnia didn't have dynamic enough playmakers to expose us. But
(03:53):
Belgium's front five, several of those players are top guys
in the top European leagues. They didn't even start two
with their more talented guys, so they were ranked eighth
coming in FIFA rankings, we were seventeenth.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
It felt worse than that.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Belgium was passing, moving through our defensive formations with ease.
It had a practice feel. Again, they were never rushed.
Initially Stu Holden said, it's nervy. I bought that for
about four minutes. But it was in Seattle. These guys
that played in European leagues. Let's be honest. There was
(04:31):
a next level technical skill for Belgium and against our
week back end, which we all knew was our weakness,
it was exposed. I mean the fifty to fifty balls,
did we win fifteen percent of those? I mean, I'm
being totally honest. We got timid, cautious. Polisic just bailed.
(04:53):
He would get out of the play very quickly. We
got frantic, we were overwhelmed, and Polisic be honest, He's
helped get us to this level. He is a very
good playmaker. But health now is a real thing.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
He was hurt during his club years.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
He has now four of the last nine World Cup
games he's missed with an injury or left early. It
is a real problem in a tournament where great players messy.
You look around, look around what we're seeing from England,
Jude Bellingham. They're rising, they're elevating, and Polisic look pedestrian.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Last night against.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Belgium's top players, he was just a guy again. They're
ranked eighth, we're seventeen. I do believe if Tim Howard
was in goal, we would have lost two to one.
We would have been outclassed, out possessed, out cornered.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
I don't doubt that. I'm not delusional.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
But a couple of those goals, we just generally historically
are so good in goal.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
We don't give those up.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
And you can go back to Tony Meoli, Cathy Keller,
Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, polistic, it's just become a trend
now in the World Cup.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
He's not one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
It had a big brother taking on a little brother
in the driveway.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
Feel it's not the end.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
There are things to put your arms around. But here
was Tyler Adams afterwards.
Speaker 6 (06:27):
I think football can be cool to sometimes. Let's not
get a twisted I think the better team one today.
I don't think our performance was great. Overall that being said,
I don't think we can take away what we accomplished
in the rest of the tournament and the type of
football that we were playing and trying to play. I
think tonight the goals that we conceded were too easy.
(06:47):
When you give good players the opportunity to score goals,
they're going to score goals and that's what happens as
you progress in the tournament. Normally the teams get better
and better and we face the good Belgian side today.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
All right, let me add some perspective if I may.
This is just my perspective.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I would be viewed as a casual but winning at
the highest levels the World Cup of Soccer is very hard.
England has the number one league in the world. It
is their national sport. They haven't won a World Cup
in sixty years. Brazil is in a long World Cup drought.
Italy's got four Cups, they haven't made the last three
(07:24):
World Cups. Italy America is great at anything. It truly
wants to be tech, filmmaking, cinema, finance, AI, our educational system,
our democracy. We are flawed but great when it matters. Hell,
even in hockey, we won the goal for men and women.
But hockey's global revenue globally is about six billion dollars.
(07:50):
You know what, Soccer is closer to forty five to
fifty billion annually. Everybody's in and everybody is spending big money.
Our best league, the MLS, is at best fifth to
sixth best.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
In the world. It was only formed.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
In ninety six and our academy system is less than
twenty years old.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
That's our feeder system.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
If you go to Spain, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal,
they have deep infrastructure advantages. Real Madrid began in nineteen
oh two, Manchester United's.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Been around since the eighteen hundreds.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Belgium's league began in eighteen ninety five. Hell, we don't
have a beer that old. That is the reality of
this now, I hear this. What's different from the last
time we got this far?
Speaker 5 (08:41):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (08:42):
You didn't notice the passion, the ratings, the relevance, the bars,
the attendants. I've never seen anything like this from America.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, timber Sounders college programs.
I like soccer. Mom was British. We didn't care about
like this. You know, it was a hobby. It wasn't
(09:05):
really our vocation. It was a hobby we got into occasionally.
America is in and loves it. And secondarily, obviously our
skills better watch. We are a more skilled nation passing, dribbling,
but this is the weakest we've ever been. Strangely, on
(09:25):
the back end, I've always laughed we're a hands country.
We've been great at goal, and we've always been athletic.
So the passion is now deeply embedded in the country.
You see the price of these tickets, Yeah, yeah, you
probably did, because you couldn't buy any unless you were
paying twenty five hundred bucks. And they're all selling that
(09:46):
thing in Seattle. You couldn't have gotten in there if
you walked up with a bag.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Full of hundreds.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
And the reality is we are more skilled, but it
is hard. Spain has a World Cup, England hasn't won
one in sixty years, and so we put a lot
of pressure on this team to solve.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
All the issues.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Let's solve everything now, and it's incremental. It is much
easier to win a gold in hockey, a six billion
dollar annual revenue sport, than in soccer. We're good at
what we want to be good at, but it's hard.
In twenty two World Cups, we'd won one knockout game.
Can we equal that in this World Cup alone?
Speaker 5 (10:30):
Take a deep breath.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
As the cliche goes, two things can be true. We're better,
but you should be discouraged. It looked really ugly in
the end. Here was Alexi lawless.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Was this a success? Look?
Speaker 7 (10:44):
I think that this team did win hearts and minds.
I think that this team did bring people into the
tent and they.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Should be incredibly proud for that.
Speaker 7 (10:53):
But also there's a part of me that says the
time for moral victories are is over, and so we've
left something on the tape, and that to me is disappointing.
I also know it's going to be disappointing to the
players and to Mauricio Pochettino when they look at this game,
because again the goals that they gave up at times
were self inflicted against a better team. But this US
(11:14):
team has beaten better teams in the past.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
And by the way Argentina advances, we have a shot
of the game winning goal. They trailed two nothing in
the seventy eighth minute and largely driven by Messi, had
three goals in thirteen minutes. They advanced to the quarterfinals.
They'll play the winner of Switzerland and Colombia. I think
I like Columbia in that one.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
You know, co favorites with France.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I mean, this tournament has just been bonkers and there
was a controversial foul called on Egypt. The bar system
didn't love it. This is Colin Soccer Spotlight. It's brought
to you by Haleon, the official partner of US Soccer
and the maker of Censidine, Tom's voltairean Advil and Centrum,
the brands behind your everyday wellness wins because every goal
(12:05):
starts with an assist on and off the field.
Speaker 8 (12:08):
Learn more.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Haleyanassist dot com Flash iHeart. Let's bring in Brad Friedel
and we talked about this you know, we should be
encouraged by some things. Discouraged. We have got to improve
in certain areas. So I'm sure you saw the foul
on Egypt. I mean, let's just talk about that.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
What did you make of that. I think it was
a mistake.
Speaker 9 (12:34):
I think it was very very I think it was
very very soft Colin, and I think I think they're
going to have I think they're going to be upset.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
I think they'll be really upset.
Speaker 8 (12:46):
But let's also not take away from this guy, Lionel Messi.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
We talk about him all the time.
Speaker 8 (12:53):
I mean, being down two nil against seventy eight minute
and I don't know if you watched all the game,
call him, but he's at his age. It was a
header that Latoro Martinez missed, but I mean he blew
by a guy at his age. I mean he get
I skedat sports once there they were, I was around
them and they were at Barcelona.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
I said, what's he got? I know he's great and
the skill and all that, what's he got?
Speaker 8 (13:15):
And they said, he gets up to full pace and
about a step and a half to two steps. I mean,
it's just it's remarkable this guy, and he's a leader,
and he's humble and he's.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
A driven winner. I mean, it's just remarkable watching it.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
Right when you think they're out and you think it's
going to be Columbia against Egypt.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
Here we got to possibly Columbia Argentina. Just in this
entire World Cup has been brilliant, really really brilliant. You know,
I was saying in the NBA eight Champs.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
In eight years in soccer, we haven't in a World
Cup repeater since it's like seventy plus years. It's so
difficult to age out. There's incredible pressure. And I said
this about Polisic, is that listen, Messi is a small player.
He doesn't miss World Cup games. I'm not asking for
every body to be earling Holland it looked like Gronkowski.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
I'm not asking for that. But I do think Brad
it's a reasonable.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Criticism to say he had nagging injuries overseas the last
nine World Cup games, four of them he's either missed
or left early, that there is a durability concern, and
I think that's a fair criticism. I think I would
love to have him on the next World Cup team,
but can we be driven by him and depend on
him Why can't I say that? Why is that overly critical?
Speaker 8 (14:29):
It's not being critical, You're just stating fact. You know,
Christian's a wonderful player. But there's an asterisk whin fully fit.
But you know it's not a personal attack on him.
You know, in this World Cup he played forty five
minutes of exhilarating soccer. He was great in the first
half against Paraguay. And when you play teams like Belgium.
(14:50):
Last time I was on your show calling, I said,
Belgium worries me a little bit because if you play
a team that has paste on the wings and they
played Luca Bakio, that Doku was on the bench. But
Troe's so also has some pace. That's going to make
Freeman stay back. It's going to make Robinson stay back.
It's going to isolate Christian poolastick and surgingior desk. And
you're going up against big, fast, strong guys that are
(15:11):
as technical as you and we need someone like Christian
in full fitness, in full form, in full mind to
be able to compete against teams like this. And listen,
I think the United States team did some remarkable things
in this tournament. They've we've galvanized, some fans created some fans,
and you know, one of the greatest things is they're
(15:32):
a media outlets now colin that are given the team
grief and debating and some of them praising them and
stuff that would never have even mentioned the word soccer
in the United States.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
We're growing, man, We're getting there.
Speaker 8 (15:44):
Like it's a big process, and we have NFL, NBA,
Major League Baseball, NHL, all these things to compete against
and it's just not going to happen overnight. And you know,
we when we play Belgium, Spain, France, England, these guys,
we can lose. We can beat them if all the
stars aligned, but we can also we can also lose.
(16:07):
And Belgium also had a little bit more of an impetus.
Is what happened twenty four hours before the game and
they were up for That's the most intensity I've seen
Belgium play with in over two years.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah wow, Well, I mean we drew with England last
World Cup, so I mean it said. The reality is,
you know, and by the way, Netherlands soundly beat us
and look better, So I mean Netherlands in Belgium. I've
said this, Belgium, their soccer league started before. We don't
have a beer as old as their soccer league. I
mean that the reality is the infrastructures overseas are this.
(16:43):
It's incremental. The passion in America check. And the other
thing I said about this is listen and I mentioned
you Tim Howard thirteen years English Premier League, Brad you Brad,
I think it's sixteen years, three hundred and ten consecutive starts, Casey,
or thirteen years in top European We came into this
(17:03):
knowing we had an MLS goalie the best, but that
was the hand Pochatino was dealt, and I thought Matt
was a bit overwhelmed. He wasn't quite as aggressive. When
you couple that with our age in the back. It
was the weakness I saw in the friendly against Germany,
and I saw it immediately with Belgium. Listen, our flaw
(17:23):
got exposed. Where do you get the next great Brad Friedel,
Where do you get the next great goalie?
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Well?
Speaker 8 (17:32):
The big pressure, like when you have the technical goods,
you've got to go to the best league. So if
you're a basketball player and you're playing in Europe and
you're good enough, you come to the NBA. Well, if
you're a goalkeeper and you're playing in MLS, you need
to go over to one of the top European leagues
because that's where you learn that, that's where you learn
(17:53):
the little nuances. There's a there's a really fine line
between being good and being great and then being phenomenal.
And you can talk about all all these guys work
hard and all that stuff, but none of these guys
that play in MLS understand what it's like to get
abused by a billion people when you.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
Make a mistake.
Speaker 8 (18:14):
And that's what happened when you play it, when you
play at Liverpool, when you play at Manchester United. So
if I made a mistake at Liverpool, if Tim Howard
made a mistake when he was at man United, we
heard about it, and we heard about it at restaurants,
We heard about it at our car, we heard about it.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Anywhere we walked.
Speaker 8 (18:29):
And what happens is you get better and you learn
and you developed this the skin of leather that can
get through adversity, and you learn to do things better
and you learn to do them more often, and you
also learn how to deal with all the mistakes and
all the negative criticism and the guys in MLS they
just don't have that yet. It'll get there again the
(18:52):
thirty years of the league, and that's got to build
as well. The fan base has got to build. We
got to the people that watch the games and all
the comments, the ctic, the opinions that goes part and
parcel with sports, and that's what makes that's what makes
the game great. But you have to play colin at
the highest of level and under the highest amounts of
pressure to continuously better yourself in sport. Complacency is the
(19:16):
worst adjective, the worst tool.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
That you can have as a professional athlete in any sport.
Speaker 8 (19:23):
And MLS unfortunately still at this moment in time, breeds
that that there's not a ton of pressure on the
players there. And whether you think a league somewhere else
is better technically, that's a completely different debate. The pressure
is much bigger in the European leagues and in the
Brazilian league.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
For instance, Poachettino, if you asked him privately, obviously he's discouraged.
I mean, he'll say the right thing publicly and he
feels very authentic. But do you think when he goes
to bed and wakes up this morning, he thinks, what
did I get myself into?
Speaker 8 (19:57):
No, no, no, no, Mauricio. I know Mauricio will be thinking.
Mauricio loves challenges, without a doubt. I would love to
see him stay on for four more years and continue
to change in the mentality of the players at the team.
I have no idea if he's going to but he
knows the quality of players that he has. He knows
(20:18):
exactly what level they're at, and I think he would
if he chooses to stay. That's because he thinks that
he could mold this team into true competitors.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
He doesn't want to just take a job because it's
another nice little livelihood for four years.
Speaker 8 (20:34):
He would continue to stay on if he thinks that
there's other players coming in the pipeline, the current players
that he bring along with them so he can lift trophies.
That's that's what and make and make history. That's why
he would stay. And by no means do I think
he thinks what what did I get into? I think
he really enjoys the challenge. You saw him kick over
(20:56):
the water bottle there that was on the second goal,
because he knows at this top level football column and
right after you score, we are against the run of play,
we get it to one one, you've got to have
five to ten million, to ten minutes, even if it's ugly,
of just not conceding again. And they conceded within sixty
one seconds and it set the tone again that Belgium
(21:18):
was in the ascendancy.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
All Right, I'm going to you know, take a deep breath.
I said, this is that criticism's healthy. I mean, we
criticize quarterbacks, Pro Bowlers, Super Bowl quarterbacks every Monday, on every.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
Show in the country every four years.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
If we stink it up, you're gonna get some heat.
You'd get twice that much in Buenos Aires, twice that
much in London.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
And then I do think today in the pushback.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
To me, Brad, I know, you know I would be
viewed by a soccer purist as a casual. In My
take is you you know what everybody should be under
the tent. Today's a day to you know, it hurts
and criticisms.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Fair well, it's a big difference to today just in life.
Speaker 8 (22:01):
You know, criticism is tough for people to handle and
they always feel like when you're looking at a technical
or tactical criticism that it's a personal hit on you,
and that's not that's not the case.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
You know, you mentioned Christian. I mean he has been injured.
That's a fact, you know.
Speaker 8 (22:17):
The fact is that like Western McKinney I think is
a wonderful player, Weston knows himself that he didn't really
turn up yesterday and he's much better than what he showed.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
That's not a personal attack on Wes.
Speaker 8 (22:28):
I think Wes is one of the best players to
ever come out of US soccer. But unfortunately it didn't
it didn't show yesterday. But that doesn't mean that he's
bad and it doesn't mean that he should take it personal.
But today call him a lot and I'm sure, I'm
sure you get hit with it often.
Speaker 5 (22:44):
It's that yeah, that people take it personally, and you know,
that's just the way that the world works at this
moment in time.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Brad friedel as good as any goalie in the history
of this country. It's been an absolute pleasure to talk.
I would love next time you're in the same city.
I am to go to a soccer match. If I
ever go, I got to get your number because I
would pay to sit with you at a Liverpool game.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
Well, Lex, seeing those guys, they have my number. If
you're over in the UK, just just hit me up
then we'll go. Brad, thank you so much. Great talking
to you again. You gotta call it.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
I mean just that would be like, that would be
better than any college class I ever went to. Just
sit with Brad Friedel for three hours, and then I'd
come back and taunt jamac on how little he knows
about soccer. I'd be like, Eh, sat with Friedel and
talked about the great ones, the teams.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
Football. Oh, here we go.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Here's Messi's goal for Argentina that tied it up at
two to two on Fox.
Speaker 10 (23:46):
Leonel Messi deflex you there on the way through until
my line something up here?
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Want you Tina Fox good.
Speaker 10 (23:57):
Leel me segah Gentsina I come back when.
Speaker 11 (24:02):
They needed it.
Speaker 10 (24:04):
Enginey it bad the man regarded by so many. That's
the gretest of the ball from the tips of despair.
Argentina celebrates for.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
A guy that weighs one hundred and fifty pounds. The power,
oh god, everything is hit cleanly. Everything's got immense power.
Speaker 12 (24:26):
So uh you remember the Super Bowl where the Patriots
came back from being down twenty eight to three against
the Falcons.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
There.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
People online are now saying, hey.
Speaker 12 (24:36):
Egypt is the Atlanta Falcons in this game, and MESSI
just orchestrated a Brady come out.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Look at the way he hold on I didn't. I
just watch this for a TV audience. It's as if
he brushed the kick. Yeah, he kind of like he
wanted to put a little English on it. He brushed
the kick, and you got this total line drive. I mean,
it's just the ability to get these little Heine crevices,
(25:01):
and yet he sees it. Look at this, there's virtually
nothing there.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
No space. I mean, these guys just wax it.
Speaker 12 (25:09):
So they would play Columbia next. Switzerland has a major
injury to their leading scorer. He just got hurt at practice,
so he's out tonight. Columbia Argentine is a rematch. They
had an epic game two years ago. Listen, I'll just
say this, Columbia is gonna fight them. They're not gonna
back down. That'll be an amazing game assuming it happens.
And then of course, you know, we have England left
(25:30):
in France.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
They got some great stuff. Even though the World coupperbounced.
Speaker 11 (25:35):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 12 (25:44):
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Speaker 11 (25:51):
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Speaker 12 (25:52):
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win big at the sports book, and all the best guests.
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
(26:13):
you get your podcasts.
Speaker 11 (26:17):
This is the Herd Line News.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
All right, let's start with the thriller, Colin. I felt
like the building out.
Speaker 12 (26:24):
Here in La shook when Argentina stunned the soccer world
with the game winner to take down Egypt down O
two in about the seventy ninth minute. Argentina led by Messi,
of course, just a stirring comeback.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Colin.
Speaker 12 (26:41):
This is the stuff dreams are made of, and we've
got the game winner in stoppage time off the head
of Enzo Fernandez.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
Here's the call on Fox.
Speaker 10 (26:53):
Stopchato Martinez, Sendva.
Speaker 11 (27:01):
And Fernandez.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Can you believe this?
Speaker 10 (27:07):
The run Frevenzo Fernandez from the place to meet that
bull and just guide it back.
Speaker 11 (27:15):
Across the goal.
Speaker 10 (27:18):
In the biggest of moments, in the biggest of sages,
one of the biggest cupbocks.
Speaker 11 (27:24):
It is the game if that sort of an.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
You know, like all sports, the more talented you are,
the easier it looks. I mean, that looks like two
guys in the backyard, you know, set it up head
our goal, win, move on that that That is a
great moment in World Cup history. And look how casual
this is just like an easy kick bang.
Speaker 12 (27:50):
Yeah, I mean Egypt was being a little casual. Listen,
ty game ninety second minute. You gotta get back. There
was one v one in the box and Enzo just
bodied him. Tom Brady's now tweeting about this goal. Colin,
it's crazy. This has the World Cup. We know, it's
taken the sports world by storm. There's Brady saying that
that might top the twenty eight to three comeback from
(28:10):
the Super Bowl against the Falcons in Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
I mean, Colin, this is this game is unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
An Argentina wol had the last two three headline games.
Only the United States let us down England Mexico was
won for the ages.
Speaker 5 (28:27):
This topped it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
So, I mean, really, one of the only games of
the tournament that has not lived up to it was
last night in Seattle.
Speaker 12 (28:35):
Sadly that's true. You'll have to ask Boose Arena about that. Shortly,
let's quickly go to the NBA colin a.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
Little summer league action.
Speaker 12 (28:42):
We haven't done any summer league because the World Cup
is such a big story. But how about Darren Peterson
last night, Colin the Kansas player who many were doubting
in the draft. Colin, he went off twenty five and
twelve assists. Remember that was a knock on him coming out.
Oh he doesn't pass, he doesn't create. Guys, he was
going head to head against kamboozer and looked like a
vastly superior player. Peterson was extraordinary. Now, you don't want
(29:06):
to go overboard.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
It is just summer league. It's summer league.
Speaker 12 (29:09):
It is, and I hear a lot of people saying, listen,
in summer league, if you don't dominate like this, it's
a really bad sign Peterson is dominating. This is what
we expect of him.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
He's a top five pick.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
You know, there's been I could give you a handful
of guys who have been great Summer League stars that
didn't do anything that's fair. But I mean, listen, nobody
ever disputed how gifted he is.
Speaker 5 (29:30):
We worried about the.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Cramping, and we worried about like Kansas won a higher
percentage of games when he didn't play. That's not anybody
making anything up. And Bill self's obviously a legendary coach.
So I mean Kyle Kuzma, I can remember Kyle Kuzma
going into the Summer League and dominating peoples.
Speaker 12 (29:47):
And listen, Kyle Kuza was instrumental on a title winner
in LA.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Well, he would say he was a good player. I'm
not knocking kuz he was a good player. But your
summer league you gotta be careful, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
I mean the G League.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
If you think about it, how many stars from the
G League and that thing's been a decade plus, I
don't know if there is one. I mean, Thompson was overtime.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Elite I think right, yes, good ooh, ictually done? How
about that? Just threw that one out of there. Jmck
with the news, Well that's.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
The news, and thanks for stopping by the Herd line.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
Now, my friend Bruce Arena is around the corner.
Speaker 11 (30:20):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern am Pacific.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Carly Lloyd on the US lost to Belgium last night,
had an interesting comment.
Speaker 13 (30:31):
I felt like they lost the game before they even
stepped out onto the pitch. And I'm not sure why,
and I don't know the reasons, but just from the beginning,
just chasing, tentative, scared, just not confident.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
On the ball. And with that, Bruce Arena, who has
more wins by a head coach than any other coach
in US men's soccer history, led us to multiple World
Cups two thousand and two, two thousand and six. It's
an interesting question. Some of it is maybe being technically inferior.
Some of it is nervy. You're a little nervous, but
we've got a lot of experienced guys who have played together,
they played overseas. Bruce, what did you make of that
(31:05):
first four or five six minutes when we couldn't keep it,
couldn't maintain possession. I mean, we just didn't feel like
we were quite ready to go. How did you view it?
Speaker 14 (31:14):
Well, they did have a great chance and I think
the first fifty seconds of the game and Freeze made
a great say why we wont ready to play?
Speaker 4 (31:23):
I can't explain it.
Speaker 14 (31:24):
You know, we've all been through those games as coaches
and players and you never know. But the Belgium team
was a superior team yesterday and they have quality players,
a lot of experience. They made a few changes in
their lineup to play against the US that I think
made a difference. They went with a little bit more
youth in some of their more experience highly respected players
(31:47):
as well. So it was a great approach by Belgium
and for whatever reason, they came after US from the
start and dominated US over ninety minutes.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Christian poolistic in the last nine World Cup matches. Four
of the nine he's either missed with an injury or
left early. I think he's our top playmaker, but there
are realistic this is just this is fact over feeling.
It is there's a durability issue here. He was banged
up in Europe for his club. I mean, how do
you view I thought kind of after that first half
(32:19):
against Paraguay, he was sort of a non factor.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
While a lot of other stars, your.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Jude Bellingham's and your Harry kane'es and your Messies, you know,
a lot of the individual stars Earling Holland have just
really elevated above other really good players. He felt like
a non factor, at least to me. How did it
feel to you, Well.
Speaker 14 (32:39):
He wasn't as influential as we'd like him to be.
And I also think that that we we expect too
much out of Christian. Christian's a good player, but he's
not in the class of these elite players in the
world right now, like we've seen with the play of.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
Messi and Holland and Kane and others.
Speaker 14 (33:00):
And for whatever reason, he's dealt with a couple of
injuries this season with his club team. He suffered an
injury in preparation for the World Cups and it's been
difficult and he had to leave the game early.
Speaker 4 (33:13):
But you know, it's not about one.
Speaker 14 (33:15):
Player, and you know, I think we could all say
that there wasn't a player in the field for the
US team yesterday. It really had a good game and
give Belgium a lot of credit and it's disappointing because
you know, the one thing I say about this World.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
Cup is it was a great opportunity for us.
Speaker 14 (33:34):
You know, how often are we going to play in
a World Cup at home and against the teams that
we played in group play? So that part's disappointing. It
would have been great to get to the quarterfinals. But
again I have to give Belgium a lot of credit.
They were the better team.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Listen, there's a lot of infrastructure advantages that are Spain
and Germany and England have over us the Netherlands. This
is incremental growth. I do think the rating for this
peaks at thirty seven million. I think America is into it.
You don't have to convince Americans how great this board is.
I also think our skill level, our passing, dribbling is
(34:09):
better than previous World Cups.
Speaker 5 (34:10):
I don't think we were very good in goal.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
I just think we have an MLS goalie and the
great ones play English Premier League. It could be Brad Friedel,
Casey Keller, Tim Howard. You know that we've had great goalies.
We weren't typically strong there. I mean, do you come
when you wake up in the morning from this do
you feel positive or negatively.
Speaker 14 (34:31):
I feel positive because I think first of all our
countries embraced the World Cup.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
It's been outstanding.
Speaker 14 (34:37):
The attendance has been great, Our stadiums have been terrific,
you know, the ratings on television have been outstanding. And
I know from being in MLS now that the growth
of our league and the development of our young players
is tremendous today. And we're going to continue to develop
players that are good players, and one day we're going
(35:00):
to develop players that are.
Speaker 4 (35:02):
Like Messi and Holland and Kane.
Speaker 14 (35:05):
As we've discussed, we have a great future for the
sport in this country, and as the league continues to grow,
you're going to see Americans one day are going to
be pretty dominant players and we will have a time.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
We're going to challenge you win a World Cup.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
Yeah, I mean I tell people this all the time, folks.
It's hard.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
England hasn't won one in sixty years and Spain's only
won one ever.
Speaker 5 (35:27):
It's hard.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Argentina today had to furiously fight back to beat Egypt.
I want to ask you about Messi and I'm saying
this is a casual bruce. You know, I love the sport,
but I don't claim to be, you know, like I
am in football or basketball and watch it year round.
Speaker 12 (35:41):
Right.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
I look at Messi and I'm always fascinated by the
speed and the power he generates from one hundred and
fifty five pound man. If we showed this one of
his goals today, it looked like he almost was putting
spin on it, and it.
Speaker 5 (35:55):
Generated so much power.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
It's just it's when I watch it, I don't think
I've ever seen anything quite like it. As somebody that's
been in the sport forever.
Speaker 5 (36:05):
How do you view him?
Speaker 14 (36:07):
Well, he's one of the greatest players of all time,
there's no question about that. Whether he's the greatest or
not is up for debate. But I think he also
has a team that has the greatest respect for him,
and the other ten players on the field know how
to make up for any kind of deficiencies that Messi
may have during the game. And by that I mean
(36:27):
his movement on the field when the opposition is in possession.
Messi's not expected to be a player that's involved in
pressing and winning second goals and all of that.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
They respect him for what he gives them.
Speaker 14 (36:40):
At the other the attacking half of the field, so
they worked their tails off for him.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
But he deserves that.
Speaker 14 (36:46):
He's had an unbelievable career and he's.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
A game winner.
Speaker 14 (36:50):
As we saw today, he misses a penalty kick in
the first half and then he scores the tying goal
in the closing minutes and positions Argentina to win the game.
The comeback today with tremendous and MESSI played a big.
Speaker 7 (37:04):
Role in that.
Speaker 5 (37:05):
Arling Holland.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
A lot of American fans say, how come we can't
find our Earling Holland.
Speaker 5 (37:09):
He looks like us, he's six to five.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
He could be a football player, he could be a
tight end. And my take is, well there's one in
the world. Slow down, folks, They're not easy to find.
But your take watching him is he's technically it feels
to me very solid. I don't know if he's superior,
but his size is a factor. I said, I think
our team is fast and athletic. I wish we had
a bit more size on our front line.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
What do you make of Earling.
Speaker 14 (37:31):
Holland, Yeah, he's a little bit dominant physically, like I'd
say Lebron is in the NBA.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Lebron's dominant with.
Speaker 14 (37:39):
His physical qualities as well as his technical qualities. But
Holland knows what he's about. He gets in the right
spots in the penalty area to score goals. He does
it with Man City. He's obviously done in this World
Cup with the team that's not as highly regarded as
Argentina or England. He's simply outstanding in his physical qualities,
(38:00):
horrific and mentally he understands.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
What he needs to do to get goals.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
If you could, if Poa Chattino was going to go
out and recruit and he had to bring two things
in to the United States going forward, one would feel
obvious an upgrade at goalkeeper that to me would feel
our great ones have played overseas for years. But in
your opinion, the two needs for this American team, Bruce.
Speaker 14 (38:25):
Well, we probably could use a playmaker, a type of
player like Messi, and at times I think we felt
that Policitis could possibly play that role. And obviously having
a more experienced goalkeeper would help. You know, our outstanding
goalkeeper is kill of Friedel and Howard and mel all
played an MLS as well, so it's not a requirement
(38:47):
to play abroad. But you know, I think our team
getting ready. Hopefully they need to go through qualification for
the next World Cup. But a lot of these players
will be in the next World Cup as.
Speaker 4 (38:58):
Well, and we may be bit of position. However, I
would say we're.
Speaker 14 (39:02):
Not going to be playing at home and we're not
going to have the kind of advantages we had in
this World Cup. So it's we continue to, you know,
battle to try to be among the elite countries in
the world.
Speaker 4 (39:14):
But it's terrific, it's challenging.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
Yeah, England has not won in over sixty years. We've
not had back to back World Cup champs in seventy.
This is not the NBA where every year you get
a different champ. It is really tough. Bruce as always
my friend. It's great scene to thanks. He just got
off the pitch and came in for our show and
I appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Thank you, Colin, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Bruce is always available to us and he's a really
really good guy and he knows he's just always made
himself available to the herd and I absolutely appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (39:49):
J Mac, what a wild one.
Speaker 12 (39:51):
Yeah, you know, the World Cup has been so crazy.
I saw stat thirty one goals in stoppage time.
Speaker 5 (39:57):
That's insane.
Speaker 12 (39:58):
I'm going to start taking up smoke, I think Collin
for the rest of the World Cup because.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
Like I, after these games, I'm just like, holy I
just need a breather.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Well, I wouldn't encourage smoking. This is a you know,
we health and fitness is kind of a requirement for
the show. On the longevity of this show, I would
I would.
Speaker 5 (40:19):
Say this, this is listen.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Even when we got baaligin back last night, the oddsmakers
had it as a pickam. So it's I mean, I
don't think anybody expected that. And I and I do
believe if if we would have had elite goal keeping,
I think we lose two to one, we're still clearly
the inferior team. But I don't think, you know, we
give up the embarrassing third goal, and I thought, you know,
(40:45):
I thought the second one we got a little bullied.
Tim Reem got a little bullied physically there there. I
don't need my American soccer team to look like an
NFL or NBA roster, but I do think the six
to four Belgium striker kind of pushed us around.
Speaker 5 (40:59):
And when you're doing those corner kicks.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
To be able to spot the guy you're trying to
kick it to and have kind of a target matters,
and I thought I thought they were. I thought Belgium
was very intentional in a lot of their attacks.
Speaker 5 (41:12):
Colin.
Speaker 12 (41:12):
Remember Belgium was down two to Senegal in like the
eighty fifth minute. Okay, Mexico was down oh two at home,
and we just saw Argentina down two in the seventy
eighth minute and they all fought like hell to come back, Colin,
did you see any fight from us yesterday at all?
That that's the most disappointing thing. Like, I get it,
Belgium's a good team losing, but we didn't fight. I
(41:34):
didn't see that American like, sheez man, I'm gonna get
these guys, you know. I didn't see us even hint
to get back in.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
The game now down three one. I think in fairness
that that's the most discouraging.
Speaker 12 (41:45):
Is it?
Speaker 5 (41:45):
Feel?
Speaker 1 (41:46):
It felt like, you know, after we took a tied
it with Tillman's ricochet kick, they came back and scored
sixty one seconds later, and that felt like from that
point forward, you didn't get our best effort. You didn't
get our best intensity, passion or focus, and I think
that's fair criticism.
Speaker 5 (42:04):
Okay, Switzerland and Columbia.
Speaker 12 (42:07):
How about this, let me put you on the spot.
Is polistic starting in the twenty thirty World Cup for US?
Speaker 5 (42:11):
Probably? Okay, I'm starting to do some research. They a
potential other starters.
Speaker 12 (42:18):
I want to see that that's in your building fifty
players database project?
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Do that?
Speaker 5 (42:23):
Would you? Yeah? Appreciate that? Do me a favor for
Wantz Powell
Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
C KBIGHD two, Los Angeles AM five seventy LA Sports
at iHeartRadio station Guaranteed Human and now The Dodger Daily
with David Vasa.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Dalton Rushing came up with the walkoff broken bat basit
and he also was in the middle of a couple
of plays at the plate. One got a little testing
in the tenth inning with Cole Carrick.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
No, it wasn't bad. Maybe to him it was bad,
but it wasn't bad at automate.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
What'd you say to him?
Speaker 4 (00:51):
I said nothing about it. Don't worry. Make sure he
knows who I am.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Rushing made a nice play to cut down a go
ahead run in the ninth inning on Hunter Goodman as well,
so he had his fingerprints all over last night's eight
to seven win in eleven innings for the Dodgers over
the Rockies. It was the first extra innings game the
Dodgers played in their first ninety two of the season.
This Dodger Report presented by Navvy and High Efficiency tankless
(01:17):
water Heaters. Learn more at hydro Furnace dot Com. With
the Dodgers, I'm David Basset.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Broadcasting Law. This is law from Los Angeless to me.
Los Angeles has always been the best radio market in
the country.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
This is the Herd with Colin Cowherd.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Here anything you missed on AM five seventy LA Sports
dot com, that new technology thing, or on your smartphone
using iHeartRadio.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
We love LA, we love La. Oh, this could be
a great hour. Rad Friedel.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Arguably the greatest goalie in the history of this country.
The United States men's national team played in the Premier
League forever. Untact at one point started three hundred and
ten straight starts in the Premier League, best league in
the world. World Bruce Arena will stop by as well.
Argentina three to two over Egypt. They scored a flurry
of goals late MESSI had a couple wild that There's
(02:17):
gonna be a lot of controversy about one of the
Egyptian goals being taken away. There's gonna be a great
deal of controversy when you only have a tournament every
four years and it's knockout stage, sudden death, you're gonna
have it. You got to just kind of build it in.
And I'll say this, the US was eliminated. It was
(02:38):
ugly Forur to one lost to Belgium, and this is true.
When the postseason begins, your greatest flaws is any team
are exposed. And it was evident that our biggest weaknesses
was the goalkeeper. Matt Freese. Sorry it was Tim Howard
played thirteen years in the English Premier League, Brad Friedel
sixteen years in the EPL, Tasey Keller thirteen years in
(03:00):
top European leagues. Matt Freese is an MLS goalie and
looked the part. Sorry but it's true. He gave up
one embarrassing goal and another one here Tim Reem at
thirty eight. Again, we were concerned about athleticism and age
was physically overwhelmed. We saw it against Germany and the friendly.
(03:20):
Our defense, when exposed to elite playmakers and strikers, was
shockingly overwhelmed when pressure was applied last night we folded.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
Like wet cardboard.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
And against Germany and the friendly and against Belgium it
was ninety seconds in Belgium had so much space, never
rushed so much time right out of the shoot. Paraguay, Australia,
Bosnia didn't have dynamic enough playmakers to expose us. But
(03:53):
Belgium's front five, several of those players are top guys
in the top European leagues. They didn't even start two
with their more talented guys, so they were ranked eighth
coming in FIFA rankings, we were seventeenth.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
It felt worse than that.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Belgium was passing, moving through our defensive formations with ease.
It had a practice feel. Again, they were never rushed.
Initially Stu Holden said, it's nervy. I bought that for
about four minutes. But it was in Seattle. These guys
that played in European leagues. Let's be honest. There was
(04:31):
a next level technical skill for Belgium and against our
week back end, which we all knew was our weakness,
it was exposed. I mean the fifty to fifty balls,
did we win fifteen percent of those? I mean, I'm
being totally honest. We got timid, cautious. Polisic just bailed.
(04:53):
He would get out of the play very quickly. We
got frantic, we were overwhelmed, and Polisic be honest, He's
helped get us to this level. He is a very
good playmaker. But health now is a real thing.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
He was hurt during his club years.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
He has now four of the last nine World Cup
games he's missed with an injury or left early. It
is a real problem in a tournament where great players messy.
You look around, look around what we're seeing from England,
Jude Bellingham. They're rising, they're elevating, and Polisic look pedestrian.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Last night against.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Belgium's top players, he was just a guy again. They're
ranked eighth, we're seventeen. I do believe if Tim Howard
was in goal, we would have lost two to one.
We would have been outclassed, out possessed, out cornered.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
I don't doubt that. I'm not delusional.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
But a couple of those goals, we just generally historically
are so good in goal.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
We don't give those up.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
And you can go back to Tony Meoli, Cathy Keller,
Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, polistic, it's just become a trend
now in the World Cup.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
He's not one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
It had a big brother taking on a little brother
in the driveway.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
Feel it's not the end.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
There are things to put your arms around. But here
was Tyler Adams afterwards.
Speaker 6 (06:27):
I think football can be cool to sometimes. Let's not
get a twisted I think the better team one today.
I don't think our performance was great. Overall that being said,
I don't think we can take away what we accomplished
in the rest of the tournament and the type of
football that we were playing and trying to play. I
think tonight the goals that we conceded were too easy.
(06:47):
When you give good players the opportunity to score goals,
they're going to score goals and that's what happens as
you progress in the tournament. Normally the teams get better
and better and we face the good Belgian side today.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
All right, let me add some perspective if I may.
This is just my perspective.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I would be viewed as a casual but winning at
the highest levels the World Cup of Soccer is very hard.
England has the number one league in the world. It
is their national sport. They haven't won a World Cup
in sixty years. Brazil is in a long World Cup drought.
Italy's got four Cups, they haven't made the last three
(07:24):
World Cups. Italy America is great at anything. It truly
wants to be tech, filmmaking, cinema, finance, AI, our educational system,
our democracy. We are flawed but great when it matters. Hell,
even in hockey, we won the goal for men and women.
But hockey's global revenue globally is about six billion dollars.
(07:50):
You know what, Soccer is closer to forty five to
fifty billion annually. Everybody's in and everybody is spending big money.
Our best league, the MLS, is at best fifth to
sixth best.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
In the world. It was only formed.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
In ninety six and our academy system is less than
twenty years old.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
That's our feeder system.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
If you go to Spain, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal,
they have deep infrastructure advantages. Real Madrid began in nineteen
oh two, Manchester United's.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Been around since the eighteen hundreds.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Belgium's league began in eighteen ninety five. Hell, we don't
have a beer that old. That is the reality of
this now, I hear this. What's different from the last
time we got this far?
Speaker 5 (08:41):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (08:42):
You didn't notice the passion, the ratings, the relevance, the bars,
the attendants. I've never seen anything like this from America.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, timber Sounders college programs.
I like soccer. Mom was British. We didn't care about
like this. You know, it was a hobby. It wasn't
(09:05):
really our vocation. It was a hobby we got into occasionally.
America is in and loves it. And secondarily, obviously our
skills better watch. We are a more skilled nation passing, dribbling,
but this is the weakest we've ever been. Strangely, on
(09:25):
the back end, I've always laughed we're a hands country.
We've been great at goal, and we've always been athletic.
So the passion is now deeply embedded in the country.
You see the price of these tickets, Yeah, yeah, you
probably did, because you couldn't buy any unless you were
paying twenty five hundred bucks. And they're all selling that
(09:46):
thing in Seattle. You couldn't have gotten in there if
you walked up with a bag.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Full of hundreds.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
And the reality is we are more skilled, but it
is hard. Spain has a World Cup, England hasn't won
one in sixty years, and so we put a lot
of pressure on this team to solve.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
All the issues.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Let's solve everything now, and it's incremental. It is much
easier to win a gold in hockey, a six billion
dollar annual revenue sport, than in soccer. We're good at
what we want to be good at, but it's hard.
In twenty two World Cups, we'd won one knockout game.
Can we equal that in this World Cup alone?
Speaker 5 (10:30):
Take a deep breath.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
As the cliche goes, two things can be true. We're better,
but you should be discouraged. It looked really ugly in
the end. Here was Alexi lawless.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Was this a success? Look?
Speaker 7 (10:44):
I think that this team did win hearts and minds.
I think that this team did bring people into the
tent and they.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Should be incredibly proud for that.
Speaker 7 (10:53):
But also there's a part of me that says the
time for moral victories are is over, and so we've
left something on the tape, and that to me is disappointing.
I also know it's going to be disappointing to the
players and to Mauricio Pochettino when they look at this game,
because again the goals that they gave up at times
were self inflicted against a better team. But this US
(11:14):
team has beaten better teams in the past.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
And by the way Argentina advances, we have a shot
of the game winning goal. They trailed two nothing in
the seventy eighth minute and largely driven by Messi, had
three goals in thirteen minutes. They advanced to the quarterfinals.
They'll play the winner of Switzerland and Colombia. I think
I like Columbia in that one.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
You know, co favorites with France.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I mean, this tournament has just been bonkers and there
was a controversial foul called on Egypt. The bar system
didn't love it. This is Colin Soccer Spotlight. It's brought
to you by Haleon, the official partner of US Soccer
and the maker of Censidine, Tom's voltairean Advil and Centrum,
the brands behind your everyday wellness wins because every goal
(12:05):
starts with an assist on and off the field.
Speaker 8 (12:08):
Learn more.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Haleyanassist dot com Flash iHeart. Let's bring in Brad Friedel
and we talked about this you know, we should be
encouraged by some things. Discouraged. We have got to improve
in certain areas. So I'm sure you saw the foul
on Egypt. I mean, let's just talk about that.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
What did you make of that. I think it was
a mistake.
Speaker 9 (12:34):
I think it was very very I think it was
very very soft Colin, and I think I think they're
going to have I think they're going to be upset.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
I think they'll be really upset.
Speaker 8 (12:46):
But let's also not take away from this guy, Lionel Messi.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
We talk about him all the time.
Speaker 8 (12:53):
I mean, being down two nil against seventy eight minute
and I don't know if you watched all the game,
call him, but he's at his age. It was a
header that Latoro Martinez missed, but I mean he blew
by a guy at his age. I mean he get
I skedat sports once there they were, I was around
them and they were at Barcelona.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
I said, what's he got? I know he's great and
the skill and all that, what's he got?
Speaker 8 (13:15):
And they said, he gets up to full pace and
about a step and a half to two steps. I mean,
it's just it's remarkable this guy, and he's a leader,
and he's humble and he's.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
A driven winner. I mean, it's just remarkable watching it.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
Right when you think they're out and you think it's
going to be Columbia against Egypt.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
Here we got to possibly Columbia Argentina. Just in this
entire World Cup has been brilliant, really really brilliant. You know,
I was saying in the NBA eight Champs.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
In eight years in soccer, we haven't in a World
Cup repeater since it's like seventy plus years. It's so
difficult to age out. There's incredible pressure. And I said
this about Polisic, is that listen, Messi is a small player.
He doesn't miss World Cup games. I'm not asking for
every body to be earling Holland it looked like Gronkowski.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
I'm not asking for that. But I do think Brad
it's a reasonable.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Criticism to say he had nagging injuries overseas the last
nine World Cup games, four of them he's either missed
or left early, that there is a durability concern, and
I think that's a fair criticism. I think I would
love to have him on the next World Cup team,
but can we be driven by him and depend on
him Why can't I say that? Why is that overly critical?
Speaker 8 (14:29):
It's not being critical, You're just stating fact. You know,
Christian's a wonderful player. But there's an asterisk whin fully fit.
But you know it's not a personal attack on him.
You know, in this World Cup he played forty five
minutes of exhilarating soccer. He was great in the first
half against Paraguay. And when you play teams like Belgium.
(14:50):
Last time I was on your show calling, I said,
Belgium worries me a little bit because if you play
a team that has paste on the wings and they
played Luca Bakio, that Doku was on the bench. But
Troe's so also has some pace. That's going to make
Freeman stay back. It's going to make Robinson stay back.
It's going to isolate Christian poolastick and surgingior desk. And
you're going up against big, fast, strong guys that are
(15:11):
as technical as you and we need someone like Christian
in full fitness, in full form, in full mind to
be able to compete against teams like this. And listen,
I think the United States team did some remarkable things
in this tournament. They've we've galvanized, some fans created some fans,
and you know, one of the greatest things is they're
(15:32):
a media outlets now colin that are given the team
grief and debating and some of them praising them and
stuff that would never have even mentioned the word soccer
in the United States.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
We're growing, man, We're getting there.
Speaker 8 (15:44):
Like it's a big process, and we have NFL, NBA,
Major League Baseball, NHL, all these things to compete against
and it's just not going to happen overnight. And you know,
we when we play Belgium, Spain, France, England, these guys,
we can lose. We can beat them if all the
stars aligned, but we can also we can also lose.
(16:07):
And Belgium also had a little bit more of an impetus.
Is what happened twenty four hours before the game and
they were up for That's the most intensity I've seen
Belgium play with in over two years.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah wow, Well, I mean we drew with England last
World Cup, so I mean it said. The reality is,
you know, and by the way, Netherlands soundly beat us
and look better, So I mean Netherlands in Belgium. I've
said this, Belgium, their soccer league started before. We don't
have a beer as old as their soccer league. I
mean that the reality is the infrastructures overseas are this.
(16:43):
It's incremental. The passion in America check. And the other
thing I said about this is listen and I mentioned
you Tim Howard thirteen years English Premier League, Brad you Brad,
I think it's sixteen years, three hundred and ten consecutive starts, Casey,
or thirteen years in top European We came into this
(17:03):
knowing we had an MLS goalie the best, but that
was the hand Pochatino was dealt, and I thought Matt
was a bit overwhelmed. He wasn't quite as aggressive. When
you couple that with our age in the back. It
was the weakness I saw in the friendly against Germany,
and I saw it immediately with Belgium. Listen, our flaw
(17:23):
got exposed. Where do you get the next great Brad Friedel,
Where do you get the next great goalie?
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Well?
Speaker 8 (17:32):
The big pressure, like when you have the technical goods,
you've got to go to the best league. So if
you're a basketball player and you're playing in Europe and
you're good enough, you come to the NBA. Well, if
you're a goalkeeper and you're playing in MLS, you need
to go over to one of the top European leagues
because that's where you learn that, that's where you learn
(17:53):
the little nuances. There's a there's a really fine line
between being good and being great and then being phenomenal.
And you can talk about all all these guys work
hard and all that stuff, but none of these guys
that play in MLS understand what it's like to get
abused by a billion people when you.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
Make a mistake.
Speaker 8 (18:14):
And that's what happened when you play it, when you
play at Liverpool, when you play at Manchester United. So
if I made a mistake at Liverpool, if Tim Howard
made a mistake when he was at man United, we
heard about it, and we heard about it at restaurants,
We heard about it at our car, we heard about it.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Anywhere we walked.
Speaker 8 (18:29):
And what happens is you get better and you learn
and you developed this the skin of leather that can
get through adversity, and you learn to do things better
and you learn to do them more often, and you
also learn how to deal with all the mistakes and
all the negative criticism and the guys in MLS they
just don't have that yet. It'll get there again the
(18:52):
thirty years of the league, and that's got to build
as well. The fan base has got to build. We
got to the people that watch the games and all
the comments, the ctic, the opinions that goes part and
parcel with sports, and that's what makes that's what makes
the game great. But you have to play colin at
the highest of level and under the highest amounts of
pressure to continuously better yourself in sport. Complacency is the
(19:16):
worst adjective, the worst tool.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
That you can have as a professional athlete in any sport.
Speaker 8 (19:23):
And MLS unfortunately still at this moment in time, breeds
that that there's not a ton of pressure on the
players there. And whether you think a league somewhere else
is better technically, that's a completely different debate. The pressure
is much bigger in the European leagues and in the
Brazilian league.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
For instance, Poachettino, if you asked him privately, obviously he's discouraged.
I mean, he'll say the right thing publicly and he
feels very authentic. But do you think when he goes
to bed and wakes up this morning, he thinks, what
did I get myself into?
Speaker 8 (19:57):
No, no, no, no, Mauricio. I know Mauricio will be thinking.
Mauricio loves challenges, without a doubt. I would love to
see him stay on for four more years and continue
to change in the mentality of the players at the team.
I have no idea if he's going to but he
knows the quality of players that he has. He knows
(20:18):
exactly what level they're at, and I think he would
if he chooses to stay. That's because he thinks that
he could mold this team into true competitors.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
He doesn't want to just take a job because it's
another nice little livelihood for four years.
Speaker 8 (20:34):
He would continue to stay on if he thinks that
there's other players coming in the pipeline, the current players
that he bring along with them so he can lift trophies.
That's that's what and make and make history. That's why
he would stay. And by no means do I think
he thinks what what did I get into? I think
he really enjoys the challenge. You saw him kick over
(20:56):
the water bottle there that was on the second goal,
because he knows at this top level football column and
right after you score, we are against the run of play,
we get it to one one, you've got to have
five to ten million, to ten minutes, even if it's ugly,
of just not conceding again. And they conceded within sixty
one seconds and it set the tone again that Belgium
(21:18):
was in the ascendancy.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
All Right, I'm going to you know, take a deep breath.
I said, this is that criticism's healthy. I mean, we
criticize quarterbacks, Pro Bowlers, Super Bowl quarterbacks every Monday, on every.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
Show in the country every four years.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
If we stink it up, you're gonna get some heat.
You'd get twice that much in Buenos Aires, twice that
much in London.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
And then I do think today in the pushback.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
To me, Brad, I know, you know I would be
viewed by a soccer purist as a casual. In My
take is you you know what everybody should be under
the tent. Today's a day to you know, it hurts
and criticisms.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Fair well, it's a big difference to today just in life.
Speaker 8 (22:01):
You know, criticism is tough for people to handle and
they always feel like when you're looking at a technical
or tactical criticism that it's a personal hit on you,
and that's not that's not the case.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
You know, you mentioned Christian. I mean he has been injured.
That's a fact, you know.
Speaker 8 (22:17):
The fact is that like Western McKinney I think is
a wonderful player, Weston knows himself that he didn't really
turn up yesterday and he's much better than what he showed.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
That's not a personal attack on Wes.
Speaker 8 (22:28):
I think Wes is one of the best players to
ever come out of US soccer. But unfortunately it didn't
it didn't show yesterday. But that doesn't mean that he's
bad and it doesn't mean that he should take it personal.
But today call him a lot and I'm sure, I'm
sure you get hit with it often.
Speaker 5 (22:44):
It's that yeah, that people take it personally, and you know,
that's just the way that the world works at this
moment in time.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Brad friedel as good as any goalie in the history
of this country. It's been an absolute pleasure to talk.
I would love next time you're in the same city.
I am to go to a soccer match. If I
ever go, I got to get your number because I
would pay to sit with you at a Liverpool game.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
Well, Lex, seeing those guys, they have my number. If
you're over in the UK, just just hit me up
then we'll go. Brad, thank you so much. Great talking
to you again. You gotta call it.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
I mean just that would be like, that would be
better than any college class I ever went to. Just
sit with Brad Friedel for three hours, and then I'd
come back and taunt jamac on how little he knows
about soccer. I'd be like, Eh, sat with Friedel and
talked about the great ones, the teams.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
Football. Oh, here we go.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Here's Messi's goal for Argentina that tied it up at
two to two on Fox.
Speaker 10 (23:46):
Leonel Messi deflex you there on the way through until
my line something up here?
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Want you Tina Fox good.
Speaker 10 (23:57):
Leel me segah Gentsina I come back when.
Speaker 11 (24:02):
They needed it.
Speaker 10 (24:04):
Enginey it bad the man regarded by so many. That's
the gretest of the ball from the tips of despair.
Argentina celebrates for.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
A guy that weighs one hundred and fifty pounds. The power,
oh god, everything is hit cleanly. Everything's got immense power.
Speaker 12 (24:26):
So uh you remember the Super Bowl where the Patriots
came back from being down twenty eight to three against
the Falcons.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
There.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
People online are now saying, hey.
Speaker 12 (24:36):
Egypt is the Atlanta Falcons in this game, and MESSI
just orchestrated a Brady come out.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Look at the way he hold on I didn't. I
just watch this for a TV audience. It's as if
he brushed the kick. Yeah, he kind of like he
wanted to put a little English on it. He brushed
the kick, and you got this total line drive. I mean,
it's just the ability to get these little Heine crevices,
(25:01):
and yet he sees it. Look at this, there's virtually
nothing there.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
No space. I mean, these guys just wax it.
Speaker 12 (25:09):
So they would play Columbia next. Switzerland has a major
injury to their leading scorer. He just got hurt at practice,
so he's out tonight. Columbia Argentine is a rematch. They
had an epic game two years ago. Listen, I'll just
say this, Columbia is gonna fight them. They're not gonna
back down. That'll be an amazing game assuming it happens.
And then of course, you know, we have England left
(25:30):
in France.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
They got some great stuff. Even though the World coupperbounced.
Speaker 11 (25:35):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and neon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 12 (25:44):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning
on my podcast Straight Fired with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 11 (25:51):
This isn't your.
Speaker 12 (25:52):
Typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your
throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on
all the big sports headlines, accurate stats to help you
win big at the sports book, and all the best guests.
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
(26:13):
you get your podcasts.
Speaker 11 (26:17):
This is the Herd Line News.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
All right, let's start with the thriller, Colin. I felt
like the building out.
Speaker 12 (26:24):
Here in La shook when Argentina stunned the soccer world
with the game winner to take down Egypt down O
two in about the seventy ninth minute. Argentina led by Messi,
of course, just a stirring comeback.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Colin.
Speaker 12 (26:41):
This is the stuff dreams are made of, and we've
got the game winner in stoppage time off the head
of Enzo Fernandez.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
Here's the call on Fox.
Speaker 10 (26:53):
Stopchato Martinez, Sendva.
Speaker 11 (27:01):
And Fernandez.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Can you believe this?
Speaker 10 (27:07):
The run Frevenzo Fernandez from the place to meet that
bull and just guide it back.
Speaker 11 (27:15):
Across the goal.
Speaker 10 (27:18):
In the biggest of moments, in the biggest of sages,
one of the biggest cupbocks.
Speaker 11 (27:24):
It is the game if that sort of an.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
You know, like all sports, the more talented you are,
the easier it looks. I mean, that looks like two
guys in the backyard, you know, set it up head
our goal, win, move on that that That is a
great moment in World Cup history. And look how casual
this is just like an easy kick bang.
Speaker 12 (27:50):
Yeah, I mean Egypt was being a little casual. Listen,
ty game ninety second minute. You gotta get back. There
was one v one in the box and Enzo just
bodied him. Tom Brady's now tweeting about this goal. Colin,
it's crazy. This has the World Cup. We know, it's
taken the sports world by storm. There's Brady saying that
that might top the twenty eight to three comeback from
(28:10):
the Super Bowl against the Falcons in Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
I mean, Colin, this is this game is unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
An Argentina wol had the last two three headline games.
Only the United States let us down England Mexico was
won for the ages.
Speaker 5 (28:27):
This topped it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
So, I mean, really, one of the only games of
the tournament that has not lived up to it was
last night in Seattle.
Speaker 12 (28:35):
Sadly that's true. You'll have to ask Boose Arena about that. Shortly,
let's quickly go to the NBA colin a.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
Little summer league action.
Speaker 12 (28:42):
We haven't done any summer league because the World Cup
is such a big story. But how about Darren Peterson
last night, Colin the Kansas player who many were doubting
in the draft. Colin, he went off twenty five and
twelve assists. Remember that was a knock on him coming out.
Oh he doesn't pass, he doesn't create. Guys, he was
going head to head against kamboozer and looked like a
vastly superior player. Peterson was extraordinary. Now, you don't want
(29:06):
to go overboard.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
It is just summer league. It's summer league.
Speaker 12 (29:09):
It is, and I hear a lot of people saying, listen,
in summer league, if you don't dominate like this, it's
a really bad sign Peterson is dominating. This is what
we expect of him.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
He's a top five pick.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
You know, there's been I could give you a handful
of guys who have been great Summer League stars that
didn't do anything that's fair. But I mean, listen, nobody
ever disputed how gifted he is.
Speaker 5 (29:30):
We worried about the.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Cramping, and we worried about like Kansas won a higher
percentage of games when he didn't play. That's not anybody
making anything up. And Bill self's obviously a legendary coach.
So I mean Kyle Kuzma, I can remember Kyle Kuzma
going into the Summer League and dominating peoples.
Speaker 12 (29:47):
And listen, Kyle Kuza was instrumental on a title winner
in LA.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Well, he would say he was a good player. I'm
not knocking kuz he was a good player. But your
summer league you gotta be careful, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
I mean the G League.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
If you think about it, how many stars from the
G League and that thing's been a decade plus, I
don't know if there is one. I mean, Thompson was overtime.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Elite I think right, yes, good ooh, ictually done? How
about that? Just threw that one out of there. Jmck
with the news, Well that's.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
The news, and thanks for stopping by the Herd line.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
Now, my friend Bruce Arena is around the corner.
Speaker 11 (30:20):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern am Pacific.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Carly Lloyd on the US lost to Belgium last night,
had an interesting comment.
Speaker 13 (30:31):
I felt like they lost the game before they even
stepped out onto the pitch. And I'm not sure why,
and I don't know the reasons, but just from the beginning,
just chasing, tentative, scared, just not confident.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
On the ball. And with that, Bruce Arena, who has
more wins by a head coach than any other coach
in US men's soccer history, led us to multiple World
Cups two thousand and two, two thousand and six. It's
an interesting question. Some of it is maybe being technically inferior.
Some of it is nervy. You're a little nervous, but
we've got a lot of experienced guys who have played together,
they played overseas. Bruce, what did you make of that
(31:05):
first four or five six minutes when we couldn't keep it,
couldn't maintain possession. I mean, we just didn't feel like
we were quite ready to go. How did you view it?
Speaker 14 (31:14):
Well, they did have a great chance and I think
the first fifty seconds of the game and Freeze made
a great say why we wont ready to play?
Speaker 4 (31:23):
I can't explain it.
Speaker 14 (31:24):
You know, we've all been through those games as coaches
and players and you never know. But the Belgium team
was a superior team yesterday and they have quality players,
a lot of experience. They made a few changes in
their lineup to play against the US that I think
made a difference. They went with a little bit more
youth in some of their more experience highly respected players
(31:47):
as well. So it was a great approach by Belgium
and for whatever reason, they came after US from the
start and dominated US over ninety minutes.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Christian poolistic in the last nine World Cup matches. Four
of the nine he's either missed with an injury or
left early. I think he's our top playmaker, but there
are realistic this is just this is fact over feeling.
It is there's a durability issue here. He was banged
up in Europe for his club. I mean, how do
you view I thought kind of after that first half
(32:19):
against Paraguay, he was sort of a non factor.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
While a lot of other stars, your.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Jude Bellingham's and your Harry kane'es and your Messies, you know,
a lot of the individual stars Earling Holland have just
really elevated above other really good players. He felt like
a non factor, at least to me. How did it
feel to you, Well.
Speaker 14 (32:39):
He wasn't as influential as we'd like him to be.
And I also think that that we we expect too
much out of Christian. Christian's a good player, but he's
not in the class of these elite players in the
world right now, like we've seen with the play of.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
Messi and Holland and Kane and others.
Speaker 14 (33:00):
And for whatever reason, he's dealt with a couple of
injuries this season with his club team. He suffered an
injury in preparation for the World Cups and it's been
difficult and he had to leave the game early.
Speaker 4 (33:13):
But you know, it's not about one.
Speaker 14 (33:15):
Player, and you know, I think we could all say
that there wasn't a player in the field for the
US team yesterday. It really had a good game and
give Belgium a lot of credit and it's disappointing because
you know, the one thing I say about this World.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
Cup is it was a great opportunity for us.
Speaker 14 (33:34):
You know, how often are we going to play in
a World Cup at home and against the teams that
we played in group play? So that part's disappointing. It
would have been great to get to the quarterfinals. But
again I have to give Belgium a lot of credit.
They were the better team.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Listen, there's a lot of infrastructure advantages that are Spain
and Germany and England have over us the Netherlands. This
is incremental growth. I do think the rating for this
peaks at thirty seven million. I think America is into it.
You don't have to convince Americans how great this board is.
I also think our skill level, our passing, dribbling is
(34:09):
better than previous World Cups.
Speaker 5 (34:10):
I don't think we were very good in goal.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
I just think we have an MLS goalie and the
great ones play English Premier League. It could be Brad Friedel,
Casey Keller, Tim Howard. You know that we've had great goalies.
We weren't typically strong there. I mean, do you come
when you wake up in the morning from this do
you feel positive or negatively.
Speaker 14 (34:31):
I feel positive because I think first of all our
countries embraced the World Cup.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
It's been outstanding.
Speaker 14 (34:37):
The attendance has been great, Our stadiums have been terrific,
you know, the ratings on television have been outstanding. And
I know from being in MLS now that the growth
of our league and the development of our young players
is tremendous today. And we're going to continue to develop
players that are good players, and one day we're going
(35:00):
to develop players that are.
Speaker 4 (35:02):
Like Messi and Holland and Kane.
Speaker 14 (35:05):
As we've discussed, we have a great future for the
sport in this country, and as the league continues to grow,
you're going to see Americans one day are going to
be pretty dominant players and we will have a time.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
We're going to challenge you win a World Cup.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
Yeah, I mean I tell people this all the time, folks.
It's hard.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
England hasn't won one in sixty years and Spain's only
won one ever.
Speaker 5 (35:27):
It's hard.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Argentina today had to furiously fight back to beat Egypt.
I want to ask you about Messi and I'm saying
this is a casual bruce. You know, I love the sport,
but I don't claim to be, you know, like I
am in football or basketball and watch it year round.
Speaker 12 (35:41):
Right.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
I look at Messi and I'm always fascinated by the
speed and the power he generates from one hundred and
fifty five pound man. If we showed this one of
his goals today, it looked like he almost was putting
spin on it, and it.
Speaker 5 (35:55):
Generated so much power.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
It's just it's when I watch it, I don't think
I've ever seen anything quite like it. As somebody that's
been in the sport forever.
Speaker 5 (36:05):
How do you view him?
Speaker 14 (36:07):
Well, he's one of the greatest players of all time,
there's no question about that. Whether he's the greatest or
not is up for debate. But I think he also
has a team that has the greatest respect for him,
and the other ten players on the field know how
to make up for any kind of deficiencies that Messi
may have during the game. And by that I mean
(36:27):
his movement on the field when the opposition is in possession.
Messi's not expected to be a player that's involved in
pressing and winning second goals and all of that.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
They respect him for what he gives them.
Speaker 14 (36:40):
At the other the attacking half of the field, so
they worked their tails off for him.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
But he deserves that.
Speaker 14 (36:46):
He's had an unbelievable career and he's.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
A game winner.
Speaker 14 (36:50):
As we saw today, he misses a penalty kick in
the first half and then he scores the tying goal
in the closing minutes and positions Argentina to win the game.
The comeback today with tremendous and MESSI played a big.
Speaker 7 (37:04):
Role in that.
Speaker 5 (37:05):
Arling Holland.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
A lot of American fans say, how come we can't
find our Earling Holland.
Speaker 5 (37:09):
He looks like us, he's six to five.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
He could be a football player, he could be a
tight end. And my take is, well there's one in
the world. Slow down, folks, They're not easy to find.
But your take watching him is he's technically it feels
to me very solid. I don't know if he's superior,
but his size is a factor. I said, I think
our team is fast and athletic. I wish we had
a bit more size on our front line.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
What do you make of Earling.
Speaker 14 (37:31):
Holland, Yeah, he's a little bit dominant physically, like I'd
say Lebron is in the NBA.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Lebron's dominant with.
Speaker 14 (37:39):
His physical qualities as well as his technical qualities. But
Holland knows what he's about. He gets in the right
spots in the penalty area to score goals. He does
it with Man City. He's obviously done in this World
Cup with the team that's not as highly regarded as
Argentina or England. He's simply outstanding in his physical qualities,
(38:00):
horrific and mentally he understands.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
What he needs to do to get goals.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
If you could, if Poa Chattino was going to go
out and recruit and he had to bring two things
in to the United States going forward, one would feel
obvious an upgrade at goalkeeper that to me would feel
our great ones have played overseas for years. But in
your opinion, the two needs for this American team, Bruce.
Speaker 14 (38:25):
Well, we probably could use a playmaker, a type of
player like Messi, and at times I think we felt
that Policitis could possibly play that role. And obviously having
a more experienced goalkeeper would help. You know, our outstanding
goalkeeper is kill of Friedel and Howard and mel all
played an MLS as well, so it's not a requirement
(38:47):
to play abroad. But you know, I think our team
getting ready. Hopefully they need to go through qualification for
the next World Cup. But a lot of these players
will be in the next World Cup as.
Speaker 4 (38:58):
Well, and we may be bit of position. However, I
would say we're.
Speaker 14 (39:02):
Not going to be playing at home and we're not
going to have the kind of advantages we had in
this World Cup. So it's we continue to, you know,
battle to try to be among the elite countries in
the world.
Speaker 4 (39:14):
But it's terrific, it's challenging.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
Yeah, England has not won in over sixty years. We've
not had back to back World Cup champs in seventy.
This is not the NBA where every year you get
a different champ. It is really tough. Bruce as always
my friend. It's great scene to thanks. He just got
off the pitch and came in for our show and
I appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Thank you, Colin, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Bruce is always available to us and he's a really
really good guy and he knows he's just always made
himself available to the herd and I absolutely appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (39:49):
J Mac, what a wild one.
Speaker 12 (39:51):
Yeah, you know, the World Cup has been so crazy.
I saw stat thirty one goals in stoppage time.
Speaker 5 (39:57):
That's insane.
Speaker 12 (39:58):
I'm going to start taking up smoke, I think Collin
for the rest of the World Cup because.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
Like I, after these games, I'm just like, holy I
just need a breather.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Well, I wouldn't encourage smoking. This is a you know,
we health and fitness is kind of a requirement for
the show. On the longevity of this show, I would
I would.
Speaker 5 (40:19):
Say this, this is listen.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Even when we got baaligin back last night, the oddsmakers
had it as a pickam. So it's I mean, I
don't think anybody expected that. And I and I do
believe if if we would have had elite goal keeping,
I think we lose two to one, we're still clearly
the inferior team. But I don't think, you know, we
give up the embarrassing third goal, and I thought, you know,
(40:45):
I thought the second one we got a little bullied.
Tim Reem got a little bullied physically there there. I
don't need my American soccer team to look like an
NFL or NBA roster, but I do think the six
to four Belgium striker kind of pushed us around.
Speaker 5 (40:59):
And when you're doing those corner kicks.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
To be able to spot the guy you're trying to
kick it to and have kind of a target matters,
and I thought I thought they were. I thought Belgium
was very intentional in a lot of their attacks.
Speaker 5 (41:12):
Colin.
Speaker 12 (41:12):
Remember Belgium was down two to Senegal in like the
eighty fifth minute. Okay, Mexico was down oh two at home,
and we just saw Argentina down two in the seventy
eighth minute and they all fought like hell to come back, Colin,
did you see any fight from us yesterday at all?
That that's the most disappointing thing. Like, I get it,
Belgium's a good team losing, but we didn't fight. I
(41:34):
didn't see that American like, sheez man, I'm gonna get
these guys, you know. I didn't see us even hint
to get back in.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
The game now down three one. I think in fairness
that that's the most discouraging.
Speaker 12 (41:45):
Is it?
Speaker 5 (41:45):
Feel?
Speaker 1 (41:46):
It felt like, you know, after we took a tied
it with Tillman's ricochet kick, they came back and scored
sixty one seconds later, and that felt like from that
point forward, you didn't get our best effort. You didn't
get our best intensity, passion or focus, and I think
that's fair criticism.
Speaker 5 (42:04):
Okay, Switzerland and Columbia.
Speaker 12 (42:07):
How about this, let me put you on the spot.
Is polistic starting in the twenty thirty World Cup for US?
Speaker 5 (42:11):
Probably? Okay, I'm starting to do some research. They a
potential other starters.
Speaker 12 (42:18):
I want to see that that's in your building fifty
players database project?
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Do that?
Speaker 5 (42:23):
Would you? Yeah? Appreciate that? Do me a favor for
Wantz Powell
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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