May 19, 2026 • 47 mins
Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos go position by position to project Mauricio Pochettino’s final USMNT roster for the FIFA World Cup. How many players will the U.S. bring at each position, and which names will make the final cut?
The guys debate whether players like Miles Robinson, Diego Luna, Sebastian Berhalter, Gio Reyna, and Álex Zendejas can move from the bubble onto the squad, while also breaking down the toughest decisions facing the coaching staff.
Plus, Tab shares the full story of the week that changed the trajectory of U.S. Soccer forever.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
He deserves to go, but I'm gonna leave them off
because I need to get goals. I need guys to
get and Sindaez is one of those guys. That's the
only reason I'm saying it. Not necessarily because Pochatino's thinking it,
but that's what that's that's where my thinking went.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
What's going on? Everybody?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Welcome back to Inside American Soccer. I am US M
and T insider Tom Boger, and I'm joined by one
of the greatest players in US soccer history, eder of
three World Cups, and my friend tab Ramos tab It's
a big show. We are one week away from the
official USMNT rosster, revealed by Mariso Pochettino in New York City.
(00:38):
But today we're gonna talk about who we think that
final twenty six man roster should be. Tab What was
it like putting together this group? How difficult was it?
Particularly on the bubble?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It was difficult. First of all, of course, you know,
it's it's great that we finally got here, right because
all of this up and down of week to week
keeping track of our guys and seeing who could potentially
make it, only to figure out that two weeks later, well, no,
that one is out of the question. We got to
bring a new one in and then someone starts doing
really well that we didn't think about all of those
(01:09):
things going on for the last six months. I'm glad
that we're here, Tom, because it's uh, we're just a
few days away from actually the real roster coming on,
and I think we we put a roster together of
what we think Mauricio Pochettino is gonna do. I'll frame
it that way because.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
That's an important to think.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yes, so it's not necessarily what I would do had
I had the whole pool. Let's say, it would be
more what we think from what we know of Mauricio Postino,
what he will do with with the roster and what
you know and with the selections that we've seen so far,
which have been many of them.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
That's the thing he throws you off the sad with
how many players have been called up and talking about
playing time. That is something that he is hammered home
is very very important. And then sometimes players aren't playing
and they're called in. Every case is different, every case
is new, and so I'm not even trying to be critical,
it's just there. You can't really read the tea leaves here,
because the tea leaves changed. But before we get into
(02:06):
the roster projection, and we're gonna have TAB, just do yours.
You are the stronger voice, I'll say, kind of my
own thoughts, but we're just gonna make it easier. We're
just gonna go with TAB. But before we even start
with the roster, what I want to say is it
is important to note while every person on a World
Cup roster is going to be important to the team
(02:26):
in terms of how far the United States last at
this World Cup, whether or not this is going to
be a successful run or not, it is going to
be dictated by the top players on the roster. Yes,
that sounds very intuitive and not exactly a deep thought.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
But for numbers.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Again, at the last World Cup twenty twenty two, the
first one with the expanded twenty six man roster, six
players did not see a minute and another five played
forty five minutes or less. So that's almost half of
the roster is playing less than a half of soccer.
At this World Cup, it being expanded, the group stage
games are a week apart, essentially, so you have less
(03:03):
of a need for a very large squad. A lot
of the debates that we're going to get into, and
a lot of the decisions that right now are going
to be about the last six or eight roster slots.
The likelihood of those six or eight players playing that
we're going to debate probably ferociously when we like we
do with friends, like we do in the medium shows.
They're not going to be the driving force as to
whether or not this is a successful work up for
(03:24):
the United States. So I just want to lay that out.
While all of this is very, very important, every rotter
spot matters. Who knows maybe that is going to be
the key to a moment in stoppage time, a moment
at the end of the game for one of these
players that are on the bubble. What is more important
are the guys that we're probably not going to spend
a ton of time on the locks, the polis Sis,
the Richards, the McKinney's, Matt Freeze, whoever, the guys that
(03:46):
we know are on the team. Those are going to
be the ones who dictate how far this team goes.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah, there's no question about that, because ultimately, as you said,
and you read the numbers, you know we're relying on
our top fourteen fifteen players to make this happen. And
I think our top fourteen or fifteen are good enough
to make a very good run in this World Cup.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Really quickly, Tab, as a coach yourself, do you think
that the twenty six man team is necessary in modern soccer?
Or what's twenty three adequate?
Speaker 1 (04:18):
I think personally that twenty six is too many players
to have on a roster. I think twenty three would
be a proper roster. You could even go down as
far as twenty two. Of course, you know now you're
adding an extra game. So maybe if you headed down
to twenty two. There are a few countries that are
planning on being there for eight games now rather than seven.
Who would think, hey, maybe this is a little short
(04:40):
for us, right, But it's always hard to manage a
roster that big twenty six. It's even hard. It's even
hard putting the training session together with twenty six players
on a roster. So yeah, I think it's a little
bit much.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
So, then, without further adode, Tab, let's get into it.
Who do you have is your goalkeepers for this World Cup?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah? I mean I think that Matt Freeze and Matt
Turner at this point are not a mystery, right, These
are guys that everyone will pick. And whether the next
one is, you know, Chris Brady or or Pat Shelty
or Celentano, it depends. I I choose Chris Brady to
be the third. I think he's sort of been the
quiet one, consistent in the background, and I like that
(05:22):
he's consistent. And and by the way, you know, he's
obviously not gonna play in the World Cup, so I
think it'll be great for him to make it and
to have that under his belt. You know, it's nice,
you know, it's nice to be part of something like this.
But I think he'll be the third.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
And I'm gonna do this with every positional group. We
are at three of twenty six with the goalies, like
you said, it's you know, they're not gonna bring two
and they're not gonna bring four, and the third spot
is I don't want to sound dismissive. It's inconsequential in
terms of how the cernament goes, but it is a
unbelievable career achievement to whoever it is. And whether they
want to use a spot, say Chris Brady is the
most deserving I think in terms of what he's done
(06:00):
on the field, or do they want to do they
did Sean Johnson in twenty twenty two, who was very deserving.
He was at the top of his game at the time,
but a really really strong locker room presence. Or would
you want to use the third spot on a guy
like Diego coachin, a young goalkeeper, somebody who is viewed
at in this program as the future. Those are a
lot of different ways to go, and I would agree
(06:22):
with you that I think it'll be great.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Okay, yeah, you know, good points you make about the impact,
because I did say how nice it would be for
him to go. But the impact of a World Cup
of representing your country. Sometimes if we forget about that,
we don't talk about the little things that are super important,
right like being on the field representing your country. You're
representing three hundred and fifty million people and you happen
(06:46):
to be one of eleven who you know, I mean,
it's just it's just human. It's such a huge honor
that you know, I feel I feel. I feel happy
for every player that gets an opportunity to make the roster.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Let's go to cet our back now. And the big
question is do you bring four or five or maybe
depends on the positional fluidy.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
So Tab, what do you have for center backs?
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, you know I'm gonna name four and only because
well I'll name the four. First, go with Chris Richards,
Mark McKenzie, Tim Reem and Austin Trusty. First, I'll say
Austin Trusty has has earned his way in because if
you listened to this show two months ago, I didn't
have him in the top six or seven center backs.
I just didn't think he could do it. But I
(07:29):
think he has proven that he he belongs, and in
particular when we add that to Miles Robinson's form and
injuries and all of those things. And this is the
reason that I have to explain only four center backs
at this point. I'm just not all that confidence that
Miles Robinson is at at that point where you know
(07:51):
where he you know where he's at the top of
his game in order to be able to help us,
and I think he needs to be at top of
his game to be a national team player.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
I believe what has been disappointing, and I'm certain it's
frustrating for him. He hasn't played ninety minutes since March eighth,
and I think he's played in like seven games since then.
He's been dealing with injuries, and head coach Pat Noonan
called it managing his load or whatever. Center Backs don't
have the luxury of being able to be substituted, and
(08:22):
as you said, Tap particularly, he's not somebody that was
nailed on starter. He needs every If it was Chris Richards, right,
and we should say Chris Richards last weekend came off
the field with a swollen ankle. Crystal Palace manager Oliver
Glassner said, should be fine. He hopes that he's able
to play this week in the Conference League final. But regardless,
this just looks like a knock rather than something to
(08:44):
be worried about. If if it was something that was
even more than a knock, Chris Richards is still on
this team because we've got almost a month until the
first group stage game. And by the way, if he's
able to play at all in the group stage, that's
a player who's played. Whereas if you're Miles Robinson, if
you're coming in with an injury, it's different than.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
If you're Chris Richards.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
If that makes sense, completely makes sense. And this is
the reason that I think we're spending so much time
talking about our center backs is because you're right, Chris
Richards will go no matter what. But let's think about this.
The roster is gonna get named soon. Chris Richards were
likely playing in the final, and his ankle there's a
(09:21):
possibility that his ankle is not going to be better
after that final. If anything, he's going to be worse.
And because of that, as we name the roster, I'll
name the other one player that I think will be
for me, the question in terms of Puschettino trying to
decide whether he brings five center backs because of more
because of Chris Richard's situation than anything else.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Who else was in the mix at center back? Again
we've talked about Miles Robinson. Who else was left off?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I mean, for me, I don't really see, you know,
when I look at Walker Zimmerman, I look at guys
that have been a little bit away from the team.
I just you know, and of course you know Walker
has had a great career. I don't think he's at
that point where he can help the national team. I think,
for me, the only other one that could be considered
is the Tristan Blackman because he's you know, he's been
a solid player for quite a few six seven years
(10:13):
now in the league where he's been at top level
and and I think he's at top level now for
the way he plays, and I think if if you
had to have him as a backup, it's not such
a bad backup to have. So that's the only other
one that would he I would even consider at this point.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
So for me again, so we've spoke about Miles Robinson
and Tristan Spiken as well. The only other one no
Kai Banks, for our sources. I know the US Soccer
is still speaking to the people in his camp. But
he hasn't played like at all. Like we talked about
minutes for Giorreana, he's played less lesson Gille and I
don't think it's very close to the moment. Malie Tillman
will get to him later. He's somebody who until last
(10:50):
weekend had played last minutes in the last month of Giorana.
So all that is to say, we we we focus
on it for him, but he's not the only one
that's been struggling for But regardless, no Kai Banks, young
center back for Augsburg in the Bundesliga. He has options
with Germany. With US, I believe he's eligible for one
other nation, but regardless, he's somebody that they're continuing to
(11:11):
work on and hey, maybe he's in the mix for that.
So we have four center backs, three goalkeepers at seven
on the roster. Let's talk about the wing backs.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
So wing backs, I think it's pretty easy at this point,
although the Pochettino may be thinking a little different because
he may be thinking of adding Way to this position
as a right outside back, which could eliminate someone from
from the four that I have. So the four that
I have are obviously on the left side, Anthony Robinson
and Max Arston. You know, Robinson seems like he's starting
(11:42):
to come around now, so I'm you know, I'm happy
to see that because he's been our best player for
years and over the last couple of months his level
has not been as good as he got back from
an injury, but I think he's going to be in
good form during the World Cup. So I was happy
to see that. Arston has been a great substitute. I mean,
he he did a great job over the last year
year and a half in making us forget a little
(12:05):
bit about Anthony Robinson, so I like that, and I
think he's deserving of a spot on the right side.
It gets a little bit more difficult because we have
Sergenio Desk who's coming back. Obviously that's his spot, but
he's also been playing on the left side now partly
in at PSV, so so we'll see where he is.
But I think in terms of if you had a
(12:26):
profile a starter, this one, he likely would be the one.
And and then you know, we also have Alex Freeman, who,
although he didn't play last weekend, the weekend before he
played and he really looked like a Lalliga player. I mean,
he looked like he belonged and and I think he's
in good form and in good form to start any games.
I wouldn't be surprised if he started for us. So
I'm I'm happy with what I see there. So I
(12:49):
can't imagine that it would be different than these four guys.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
And the positional versatility within this group. Alex Streaman can
play that right center back role in a back three
that hybrid was right back Serginio Desk and play either flank,
which is very rare for a fullback roll wingback to
be able to play on either side, and also the differences,
like Anthony Robinson end line to end line, relentless, really
great with duels, but he's a straight line runner and
(13:12):
he's really really good at it. Max Arbsen does not
have the same defensive ability as Anthony Robinson, but Anthony
Robinson doesn't have the same creativity and unpredictability, particularly off
the dribble that Max Arbison has. So it's it's a
really nice balance and mix here at the wing back spot.
A couple other guys, and again this is where we
get into like the gray areas with positions, because if
(13:33):
they're playing, if they're in possession, it's a three four
two one or some variation they're in. Joe Scalley probably
would be listed as an outside back, but I'd rather
him in the wide center back role in that type
of formation. But again, Joe scali is a guy that
seems to always be on the fringes of this roster.
He was at the last World Cup. He was one
of the players who didn't play a minute.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah, you know, And just as happy as I get
for players who make it, you get disappointed for the
guys who are on who are right on the edge right,
because this is a it's a lifetime opportunity, even if
he's played in one before. And to be fair time,
I I feel like Joe Scally is deserving of a spot,
you know, I just I just can't find my way
into putting them in. Although Pochatino does have that ability
(14:17):
with this and saying okay, Surge, Serginio Desk will be
my backup for the left side, which allows me to
bring Scally as another center back. But also since since
Alex Freeman can also do that, I don't know if
you're repeating yourself with that position. Also there's the added
part that way I may be your other right back,
(14:37):
in which case then you have too many right backs
somebody can't go right, and then you put Alex Freeman
as your fifth center back. You just have you know,
Sergenio Desk in the way I be your two right backs.
So there's a lot of opportunity there with the players
that we have, and you're right. But but having said
all of those things, I continue to say, I I
(14:58):
don't think Joe Scally will make the team, and I
feel bad that he probably won't because he's deserving he's
had a great season in Germany. He's been consistent in
Germany for a long time, and man, it's it's hard
to see a player that plays all the time not
make the team.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Right and for a good Bundesliga team. It's somebody who
this isn't new, this is what he's been doing for
four or five years now. He's been the un question
starter again the youngest non German to get one hundred
and fifty Bundestiga appearances. That is probably the toughest O mission.
I probably will be the toughest o mission, if not
like the second toughest on this entire roster. So again,
we are now at eleven players from goalkeeper, center backs,
(15:33):
and wing backs. We'll be right back with the rest
of our USMNT roster projector all right, welcome back to
Inside American Soccer. We're gonna go with central midfielders. Tab,
who do you think Punch is bringing there?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
So central midfielders, and let's call this a little bit
more of a defensive role, central midfield like the like
the almost like at six and eight, but almost like
a double six. You know, the guys are going to
hold a little bit more. I would say well, definitely
we have Tyler Adams, we have Tenor Testament, We have
Weston McKinney who could play the attacking role and be
more of an attacker, and so those three are definitely locks,
(16:18):
I think, on everyone's rosters, right, and then we have
to get to a couple other guys that we have
to add. And Christian roll Down has been a sort
of a Mariso Pochettino favorite. I can't imagine he's not
going to get picked. So if I had to predict,
you know, Pochettino's roster, I think he will be on it,
and then I think Sebastian and then after that Sebastian Burholter.
(16:38):
I think with the injury in particular to Johnny Cardozo
who's going to be out of the World Cup, I
think I had Sebastian Burholter sort of the next one
in and he's done well. He's having another great season
in MLS, and I think another player that likely if
you're going to pick an MLS players, who an MLS
player who plays all the time and who's making a
(16:59):
difference for his club, and we'll do whatever it takes
when he gets on the field. I think Sebastian Burholter
is that guy, and I'm I would be happy to
see him.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Go best bur Halter best eleven last season, and for me,
he's been the best fence in midfielder number eight rather
in MLS this year. He's being very productive with goals
and assists at a time where the Vancouver white Caps
need it. He's just been fantastic this year, so much
so that like I would have him ahead of Christian
Rodan kind of in this pecking order though all of
(17:28):
your points of like Pochettino has like literally called him
quote a perfect player, So maybe that is difficult to
put bur Alter ahead of roll Don, but I thought that.
So when when we talk about, you know, who would
be the last cut here, like I think it would
be rolled On versus Aiden Morris for the last.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Pot, I would I would agree with you on that.
You know, if again we we uh I think had
the disclaimer when we started this listing what we think
Podgettino is gonna do. If it was me, I certainly
would put Aiden Morris in here. Aiden Morris has had
an incredible season at at at Middlesbrough and I think
(18:06):
deserving of an opportunity and by the way, it's not
this is not just you know, given medals out. This
is about who can help us, and I think Morris
can definitely help us. So I would agree with you
on that one.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Tyler Adams do we think it's Tanner Testament starting the
first game next to him, with Leson McKinney further forward.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
I think that that there's no question that that's what
we'll see. I think we'll see Testament and Adams together.
They're great, They compliment each other really well, and I
think with what McKinney has done, he has certainly earned
that role to be a little bit freer to go forward,
to go forward more and help Polisic and Baligan get
(18:47):
into the box.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Just as a quick as side. Tannered Testament as a
player to watch. In the summer transfer window, sources tell
me that Leon are open to a departure if bids
come in the region of twenty to twenty five million euro.
There's an interest in England and there's always interest in Italy.
When he first signed for Leon two years ago, he
turned down a number of approaches from Syria like Inter
Milan wanted him. They were going to loan him, which
(19:11):
he obviously didn't want to sign somewhere just to be
loaned out Atlanta Roma, you name, and he kind of
top half Syria team they do like Tanner Tessman. So
I'm told that Leon are open to selling as long
as the bids come. Sources told me Atletico Madrid had
a bid rejected for him in January. I don't know
if they're gonna come back in from this summer, but
that's somebody who could be on the move after the
World Cup. I'm told he's very focused on the World
(19:32):
Cup rather than his club future, so there's that elsewhere
in the midfield. It's crazy. We haven't said unus Mussas.
We haven't for a reason because I don't think that
he's within a realistic shout. At the last World Cup,
not only was he a key player, like he was awesome,
like he was one of the better young players at
the last World Cup. If you told me in twenty
(19:54):
twenty two, what's more likely he has one hundred and
forty caps or he's left off the next World Cup
roster without an injury, I would have said it's much
more likely as one hundred and forty caps, and now
he's just an afterthought in this position under Pachatino.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
And I, you know, I can't believe you're saying this
because I couldn't agree more with what you're saying here, Tom.
I think I saw Musa in the in the last
World Cup, thinking, man, this is this is a ten
year national team player. You know, when I coached the
under twenty team, I remember telling the players coming in
when they were young, said, you know, that's great that
(20:27):
you made the under twenty team. But here at you
OS Soccer, we don't just care that you play for
this team. We care that you become a ten year
national team player. That's what this is about. And do
you have the discipline, do you have the mentality? Do
you have all of those things that I think you
know will make you that ten year pro at the
highest level. And I really believe that, by the way,
(20:47):
not that I believed, I continue to believe that that
Eunice Mussa can be a big, big player. Unfortunately, I
think his transfers having worked out, Unfortunately he's been stuck
with every coach thrown to the right side for whatever reason.
And we've all said he's a he's not an outside player.
I really believe that Moose can be a very very
(21:08):
good number eight, and if it was likely my team,
I would pick Moose on the team, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yeah, so we're at sixteen players rostered after the centrimentters again, Tessaman, McKenny,
Adams rolled on Bear Halter. So again sixteen of the
twenty six roster spots that we have accounted for so far.
And let's get to the attackers. And I think we're
just gonna lump some wingers, tens everybody but the out
and out center forwards for this group.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
But we have to because we don't know how we play,
so we don't know, if you know, we definitely don't
play with wingers, but if we wanted to, we have some.
So we play with those sort of internal secondary forward
type guys. So I'm not really sure. I wasn't really
sure what we were picking either, so because you no, no,
But but let's think about this. If we clearly think
(21:58):
that we're starting with Adam, test Men and McKinney as
those three, there's really only one or one spot for
all of these guys. So but let's name them anyway, Okay,
I I think that the guys that will go to
the World Cup are going to be obviously Christian Polisic,
Milie Tillman, Brandon Brandon Aronson, Tim Waia. I think Alex
(22:22):
and Dajas and Gio Rena are definitely players that I
think Mariso Bogettino will pick, That's my thought, and then
Diego Luna is sort of I also have them in
as a seventh player in this category. But this is
where I thought that potentially Mariso Bochettino can afford to
take one of these players off, and if one's gonna
(22:43):
come off, it's likely going to be Luna to add
an extra center back, in which case it would likely
be Miles Robinson. So obviously completely different positions. But I
think we almost have too many players. And as the
attacking attacking players.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Oh, there's a lot to go here, and I would
echo my my opening comments that we should focus more
on pool sic here and who makes sense to be
playing with what again? Is it poolsick a McKinnie underneath
bowigin right, let's I don't think I'm spoiling anything here.
You're gonna have balcon on your roster. But as we
look at this, Zendejas, so he's a player that you're
(23:23):
a big fan of I am as well. As we're
doing this exercise. As you said, it's about what you
think Pochettino is gonna do well in the Pochettino era.
He was called up in fall twenty twenty four. After that,
I'm looking it up right now. One win, one, two, three, four, five,
(23:44):
six seven. There have been seven windows he's been called
up once. So what makes you believe that Pochettino will
bring him to the World Cup. Wow, I think we
both agree that that he would be there on merit Well.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
I think what makes me believe is after seeing our
team in the March window and recognizing that, you know,
attacking wise, we just don't have guys who can make
a difference in the attacking third. You add that to
the fact that Zindjez is having a great season for America,
just scored two goals last week. I mean, he's in
good form. And you know, the hardest position is to
(24:20):
always find are the guys who are going to be
around the box who can actually score goals and sin
they can score goals. Because if the argument was, okay,
let's not take maybe Brandon Aronson because he's just you know,
he works so hard but he just, you know, a
final product is not there a lot of time. By
the way, he's well deserving of making it and he
(24:40):
should be on. But let's say that's a little bit
more of an argument to me to say, Okay, well
he deserves to go, but I'm gonna leave them off
because I need to get goals. I need guys to
get and Sindaez is one of those guys. That's the
only reason I'm saying it. Not necessarily because Pochatino's thinking it,
but that's what that's that's where my thinking went.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Yeah, And and he's like when we talk about profiles
and things that are different, like I don't think that
there's a player quite like him, and a lot of
these players again, I don't think that there's a player
like Girayana in the pool. Tim waia fro from what
he can do with his intelligence is off the ball,
running and obviously just his physical tools. And then I
go to Brandon Ritson, I like, I can't imagine not
(25:23):
having him on this roster. I think he's just so
valuable in his you know what you're you know what
you're getting, and and sometimes that can be negative if
you're worried about goal contributions. He's coming off his best
season ever. I spoke with him recently and he I
think he's had He's had seasons with more goal involvements.
He's played in the Champions League for Salzburg, he won,
he won the championship with Leeds last year. He's like, yeah,
(25:45):
this was my most rewarding year ever. He's like, I
think this has been my best and I don't think
it's a question of how he's played.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Again.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
I just think that he's like a coach's dream, you
know what you're gonna get. He's a great character and
all of that. So even if he ends up not
playing the world up that I think he should get
on the field, you wouldn't have to worry there that
you know he's going to be upset at playing time
or whatever. Obviously he wants to get in the field,
but he's a really, really good teammate. Diego Luna is
another that I just think he's gonna get called up,
and again I think he would be deserving. But Pochettino
(26:14):
in twenty twenty five called him up and played him
pretty much every single chance he had. And then the
one person that's just off. This is his RSL teammate,
Savir Gozo. He has not been called into a senior
camp yet, but he has been on fire for Vial
Salt Lake and he'd be a perfect fit for that
winging back role or if they needed him to play.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
As a winger. So what if you made of Gozo?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
No? I agree. I think this is the first week
where I've actually seriously considered the fact that he could
potentially get called. I just think that we're so overloaded
at this attacking role at this point that I just
don't see Pochettino. You know, you you could potentially leave
two three players out of the seven that I have name.
(26:56):
You could leave three and not change the roster at all.
Like WoT it wouldn't affect at all. It's about what
happens if things aren't working. Who can I bring off
the bench? That's really what we're talking about here, And
could gooz will be one of those guys. He absolutely
could be one of those guys. To be fair, when
I look at extra guys that could do something off
the bench, I'm actually thinking that for the team we have,
(27:19):
I like Julian Hall, you know, yeah, And I said
that before he's a scrapper. He gets every rebound you
can get, and I know that's a different position, but
you know what with bulls in the box, I mean,
this kid has just the you know, he can sort
of smell where the ball is going to be and
he's there and I like that part. But but you know,
either one of these new kids could be could be
(27:40):
part of the team.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, So I ultimately don't think either it's gonna get
called up, but I it would be deserved to be
the twenty fifth, twenty six guy in the roster. Again,
whether they're gonna play or not, right like they are,
and it's not just like, oh, we want to bring
a young player for the sake of it. Like I
think both of these guys have earned being in the conversation.
Do their play. Hey, if this was a Winter World
(28:02):
Cup like Qatar was, I kind of think both would
make it. But there's not enough time, I think for
them to get in, particularly because neither have been in
a senior camp. Just a couple of other names. Jack McGlenn,
I don't like he's just somebody without a position at
the international level because he doesn't doesn't have the physical
ability like maybe you could put him ex to Talyle
radamscause Tar Radams covers that much ground, but he Puschino
(28:25):
has played him further forward. He's just not dynamic enough,
I think with his movement at this moment. But like man,
his left foot is probably the best of the pool.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Yeah, I like Jack. I mean, I think he does
everything right. You could he could certainly, you know, go
right into the team and the team wouldn't miss a beat.
I really believe that. It's just that he's behind so
many other guys at this point that I just I
don't see him breaking through it all. I mean, and
I and I and now I'll be fair. I mean
I I just I wouldn't completely eliminate Jen Luca Bucio either.
(28:55):
I mean, he's had a great season. You know, he
can score goals as well. He you know, he's a
past you know, for ninety minutes every game in the
middle of midfield. He's always available, getting to the right
spots at the right time. All of those things were
just sort of overloaded in this position. And those are
guys that we we learned to unfortunately forget about them
(29:16):
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
So that's twenty three of the twenty six spots covered.
When we get to center forwards and tab you have
three strikers.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Yeah, I have three at this point, and I don't
I don't really see that changing. Obviously, Flow Baligan is
if not our hottest player, you know right up there.
I mean, he's had a great season. I think he's
he's a number nine that would play not just for
our national team but for many national teams in this
World Cup. And then I have you know, how'd you
(29:47):
write and Ricardo Peppi as the other two? I just
I don't think that that can at this point. I
don't think that can really change that much.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
No, and particular, like I toyed with the idea like
could he bring a fourth forward, because there's the possibility
of playing with like two up top, But I don't
think so, because it's more likely that it's like Balligan
and Polis sic or Baligan and Way maybe right, like
it's it's more likely that the second forward is if
they that's how they set up, it'll come from one
(30:18):
of the attacking midfield spots, rather than like Balagan and
Peppy have looked good together and then you would still
have Hawji right Anyway, if you needed to change the
game like that.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
But I did.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I did take that thought around the block at testrovi
it and couldn't quite get there for Julian Hall at
the fourth spot, or Brian White or Josh Sargent. But
I do believe that if there was a fourth forward,
it would be Julian Hall.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Yeah, yeah, that's exactly right. There is no way to
figure it. I even I even thought, Okay, Howgi right
will play the left wing and where I'll play, you know,
four three to three. Haji goes to the left way,
I goes to the right side. And now you have
a nine? Can you have an extra? I mean, it's
still the numbers just don't add up, considering you have
all these attacking guys, because in the end, you know,
(31:01):
something's got to give. So is Tilman not going his
Errans and not going his Rayna and not going That's
basically what we're looking at.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Yeah, and and yeah, I want to go backtrack a
little bit now that we've named all twenty six Malie Tillman.
Since the March window, there were six Bundesliga games for
Labor CEUs and he did not start one of them.
He started this weekend in their final game of the season.
It was a dead rubber as the end of the
season whatever. So that was his first start since starting
(31:29):
for the United States in the March break, the March
international window, so that's not ideal. Giorana came off the
bench again, but he's looked better over the last month,
and as we've covered numerous times, he was an unused
sub in the three or four games leading into the
March window, only got called in, So that is what
we'd expect there. Again, there's a lot of talented attackers,
(31:49):
and I guess for me, like if you're maybe even
go all the way out tap, if you impromptu can
do your starting eleven four the Paraguay game, the opener.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
Oh yeah, I would. I would have to go with
Sergenio Desk on the right side. I would go with
h Richards and McKenzie in the in the middle, and
I would go with Anthony Robinson on the left, uh,
Tyler Adams and and Testament in front of those in
front of those four uh. And then I'd have to
say McKinney will play a little bit more of that
(32:25):
that attacking role. And then potentially now you have an
opportunity to put to put three guys in front right,
so you could you could go with you know, you
could go with Way I'm Polisic a little bit wider
and Balogun up top. But it's likely that that's not
going to happen. It's likely that we're going to go
three center backs right, and if you go three center backs,
(32:48):
you you just take one of the attackers off right,
you know, way I would be off you could likely
play if I had to do that again. Now with
the three center backs, then you would go h. You
could potentially go right side a Freeman center Richards, left
side McKenzie out of the three, the three center backs,
and then you can go you can go Way on
(33:09):
the right, Anthony Robinson on the left, you know, and
now you have Tyler Adams with tessaman and and and
mckennie in front of him and not polistic and batting upfront.
That's more like the most likely scenario, and I think
that's where we could do best.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
And tab I agree with you.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Man to man a freezing goal that back three the
same way that everything situated, and I think that that's
the more like I think that this team has looked
best in that in that system. I think that there
is at least the possibility like years of four to
two three, one to four two three, however you want
to call it, this team has just looked better in
you know, building out of a back three, and again
(33:46):
with the players that they have, like Freeman is a
natural right back, so when you're defending out of a
four to four to two shape, he's playing in that
right back star when Miles Robinson was in the team
where he's comfortable defending wide on the touch line because
of his athletic and aggression while not having to get
forward like he's a wingback right. So I think that
the players, it makes sense, particularly in the defensive side
(34:08):
of the game, because we haven't had that defensive stability
without having a back three. And I think even in March,
when Pochatino tried to tinker, unless that he saw some
things that I didn't see or he came to different
conclusions than I did, I think I'd be walking away
from that saying, okay, the two pros for the World
Cup it's a back three and the World Cup it's
a back tw No.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
And here's what's interesting. I think if Paraguay is going
to score on us, is likely going to be down
the middle, so and Sizo's going to come inside. Al
Maron doesn't really have that speed anymore to get all
the way down the line. He doesn't do that right.
He comes a little bit more inside. And I think
if we played with center backs, we'd make If we
played with three center backs, we'd make it really hard
for Paraguay to uh to score. I think that would
(34:49):
be you know, if if we're looking at the first
game to start us off, I think that's probably the
right lineup to have.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I would too.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Again, the the official roster is going to be announced
on Tuesday, May twenty six. There will be an event
in New York City. That was our US M and
T roster projection for the World Cup. Folks, We're almost here.
We are so very close. We're gonna take one quick
break here. Next up, Tab's gonna tell the story of
the week that changed the US national team. Thank you
for listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review, and
(35:21):
subscribe where we get to your podcast. Welcome back to
Inside American Soccer. Let's go inside the locker room with
tab Ramos.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Tab.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
We're gonna talk about a very pivotal time off the field.
You've spoke of this period that we're getting to at
the nineteen ninety World Cup on the field about wow,
like we're just getting to the World Cup was such
an achievement as it was, and then we got ran
over in the first game, and we need a reaction
for the second game. So tab, I want to know
what were those days like between those two games? Four
(36:00):
playing Italy and after playing that first one where you
got knocked around.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Yeah, you know, I think you and I have laughed
enough about our preparation going into the qualifying for the
nineteen ninety World Cup because we had nothing, and obviously,
as we've mentioned before, you know on the show that
we you know, at times, you know, I was training
in the park by myself or whatever, you know, and
most of the players were living through a little bit
of that, right. But then I started to think a
(36:27):
little bit about there are certain moments that kind of
define where you go, right, there are moments in life
like sort of the forks on the road kind of thing,
and I start to think about moments that only you know,
you start thinking about moments, but when you get to
lift certain moments, because there were other moments that allowed
you right, allowed you to get to that time you
(36:47):
where you have the big moment. And I would say this.
You know, we were qualifying for the nineteen ninety World Cup.
We had a game in Saint Louis against Costa Rica.
We ended up winning the game one zero. I scored
day one zero, the one zero. Not that that matters
because I scored very few goals. But but you know,
but but here's the moment in that game that was
(37:10):
that was really important. You know. We we had lost
to Costa Rica the away game, the first game of qualifying.
We knew we couldn't lose any more games if we
were going to qualify to the World Cup. So we
we were winning one zero and with about five minutes
in the in the game, Costa Rica gets a penalty
kick and Dave Venola saves it, you know, and that's
(37:31):
one moment. So we win that game. It becomes a
big game because we stay like right behind Costa Rica
in the fight for qualifying. So that's a little moment.
Then you can move on to Okay, now you have
to last game. This is you know, six months later,
you have to go win and Trinidad and Tobago, you know,
in front of their whole crowd. Many people I've heard
already about this game, right that they only needed a
(37:54):
tie to go through, and we needed to win the game.
That was the only way we could go to the
World Cup. They say him as full the whole everyone
heard about that, right. But at the end of the day,
it's also it was just Trinidad, you know. So even
though you look back, you're like, okay, you know, but
in the end, you know, obviously no disrepected Trinidad and Tobago,
but it was Trinidad. It was just one more big
(38:16):
moment that we had to get through. So we get
that moment. And by the way, Trinidad had Dwight York's
which you know obviously became a Manchester United legend, which
you could say Dwight Yorks was equal or bigger to
Christian Polisic. I mean that level lot, you know, So,
I mean, I don't think I'm saying anything crazy here, right.
So they had some players that were good players, Russell
(38:40):
a lot of people who played at Benfica, like they
had big players. But anyway, so so then you get
to the World Cup and then every you know, for
the most part, a lot of people know the story
about how you know, we were just you know team
amateur players, you know, like we weren't very good, and
we we played the first game and we've all those
great moments, gave us an opportunity to play our big moment,
(39:01):
which was you know, the Czechslocke game. And when we
play that game, we we got demolished. You know, we
absolutely were outplayed and every possible way you can think of.
When you look at a five to one result, you
could say, Okay, I the result is five to one,
and I think I just watched the seven one or
eight one game, right, So that's sort of what it was.
(39:24):
And that's okay, because you know, sometimes you have the
little growing pains. But I think this is where the
focus of my let's call it the story is going
to be because it's the reaction that we had as
players to that, to that loss. And I feel like
over the next three or four days, all we had
(39:46):
in training were fistfights, everyone hacking everyone else. There were fouls,
there were every Our next four days were probably the
most competitive training sessions that we've ever had with the
national teams. And I believe if I had to go
back And the reason I'm talking about this is because
(40:07):
you know, obviously, after those four days, we had to
go to Rome and play Italy, and Rome, Italy was
one of the favorites to win the World Cup, and
everybody thought they're going to beat us by ten and
break all the scoring records. This is what the papers
were saying. I'm not just making that up. That's what
people were saying. And in those four days, I really
believe that the true spirit and the mental toughness and
(40:29):
aggressiveness of our current you know what happened over the
next thirty years of our men's national team. I truly
believe that that's the week when our national team was born.
That's the moment when we had four or five guys
and I can name whether it was Brian Blisz or
John Harrik's or you know, Bruce Murray, Eric Heikman, Paul Kala, Juri,
(40:53):
Marcello Balboa. I believe that there was a group of
players that week that decided, hey just got hammered and
we don't belong. But no one's running over us like that. Ever, again,
that's not happening to us. And I think it's a
key moment because I you know, as I mentioned all
the other moments that were great because we won, we
(41:14):
ended up losing Dataly one zero in a game that
we almost tied at the end. But I do believe
that that was the birth of our national team program.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Top in in the locker room, in on the training grounds.
Was it things that were being verbalized? Was it the
coaching staff or was it leaders on the team saying like,
we're getting fucking stuck in this has never happened, this
isn't or was it more of just like everybody on
the same page, quietly like steaming a little bit and okay,
(41:42):
the first fifty to fifty challenging training were flying into
the like was it verbalized or was it everybody like
head down, let's let's go.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Everybody reacted in a different way. But we we we
come from a generation of times where no one kept quiet,
like you said what had to be said. So when
you came in the locker room, there's always things flying around,
you know, because people are you know, people are upset,
they're mad at the result, and they're not standing and
they're not going you know what, you might want to
(42:11):
go down, but I'm not going down with you. If
that's the way it's going to happen. And by the way,
you're not taking me down. So that's sort of that's
sort of the feeling of what the locker room was
like and what the week of training was like, and
then so and so. What I love about that is
that accountability because at that moment you you have to
grow right there and you become like the guy that
(42:33):
doesn't want to lose, or you become one of the
other guys, and unfortunately one of the other guys is
quickly forgotten.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
Yeah, And I think it's interesting too because I think
I know how close you are with Cello, I know
how close you are with a lot of the guys
on that team. I'm certain that if Cello saw you
coming into a fifty to fifty, he wasn't holding back
on you because he loves you, right like. And it's
just interesting to me that you guys could probably say
f you two each other more than humans have and
(43:02):
then immediately when the whistle's blown, arms around each other,
right like?
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Is that is that? What kind of the vibe was
there or was it still tense after training?
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Oh? No, it was it was tense always during training.
After training, you leave it at training. But you know,
I can't tell you how many times and arguments and
pushing around I did with Arts for example, and Hearts
was from my town, like we grew up together, but
we were on the field kicking each other all the time,
(43:30):
like this is you know, not that listen. I'm not
encouraging anyone to kick anyone else. But the point here
is you have to play hard, and you have to
play hard against everybody, because this is you don't want
to go down. If you want to be a better team,
everyone has to be on the same page. And I
do believe that that week. Although you know, unfortunately many
of those players, you know, let's say like Eric Heikman
(43:51):
never made it to the to the top of the game, right,
although obviously he went to the World Cup. How much
higher can you go? Right?
Speaker 2 (43:58):
Exactly?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
But but there are players that sort of fell off
after that ninety World Cup. The team completely changed, but
there was a group that stayed together, and that group
sort of held it together to become better by nineteen
ninety four.
Speaker 3 (44:12):
Honestly, again looking back at the mentality, and I love
the finding those those tentacles of the American fighting spirit
and something that defined the team long after you stopped playing.
I think of the US M and T s that
I grew up on, like particularly six and twenty ten,
twenty fourteen. I believe I was in high school for that,
(44:34):
but like that was my favorite thing about those teams.
There was more talent elsewhere. Often was particularly around twenty
ten when when they're going to Totel with Spain and
Brazil in the Confederations Cup. In twenty fourteen, Germany and
Portugal in the group stage, Yeah, you might be better
than us, you ain't out working us, and if you're
gonna beat us, it's gonna hurt. You're gonna have to
(44:55):
earn every blade of grass that we give you. And
I think that's something that maybe I took for granted
as a kid, because you just assume when you're a kid,
like if this is what it's like, this is what
it must be like everywhere. And I think that's one
thing that had to be rebuilt within the program. And
I know that's what something Poschatino felt very very strongly about.
Greg Barlter had other things with the culture, not that
he wasn't competitive as hell, right, but it was more
(45:17):
about he had to rebuild an entire locker room. Right,
it was a complete changing of an error. And then
Pochatino comes in and it's purposeful insecurity that he wants
everybody to have to compete every single day.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
Yeah, and what happened after that? You started adding guys
like you know, you know, well Eric Ruanala was in
that World Cup, and then you started adding guys like
Alexi Lalas, right, and you know, you started adding So
the guys that added to what we already had were
tough guys too, like they added to that person, you know.
(45:48):
So it wouldn't be surprising if you walked into a
locker room at halftime in a game we're losing two
to one where Alexi had just thrown the gatorade jug
up against a wall and there's it all over the place,
I mean, or breaking a board or it was someone
else that did it. But you know, these were not
surprising things. Again, not saying that these things are okay,
(46:10):
just saying that that's this is why sometimes as you're saying,
because I can you know, it's sort of your feeling
and I you know, I catch that that that's what
we learned about the national national team was just now
It wasn't just about you know, playing well all the time.
It was about giving everything you had because you knew
that the way the national team represented you was the
(46:32):
way you want to be represented you. They give everything
for you, and I would give everything to be on
that team, and that's sort of the feeling. But I,
you know, going back to the beginning of this, I
believe that was that was born that week.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
All I can say is I hope like hell to
see a lot of that here at the twenty twenty
six wal Cup from this group. But TAB thank you
as always for bringing us inside the locker room and
to you all, thank you for listening to our roster
prediction episode. Again, we're going to have a reaction so
when the official roster is announced.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
On Tuesday, so stay tuned for that.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
You can subscribe and rate and review Inside American Soccer
wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
We'll be back in very us sear
He deserves to go, but I'm gonna leave them off
because I need to get goals. I need guys to
get and Sindaez is one of those guys. That's the
only reason I'm saying it. Not necessarily because Pochatino's thinking it,
but that's what that's that's where my thinking went.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
What's going on? Everybody?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Welcome back to Inside American Soccer. I am US M
and T insider Tom Boger, and I'm joined by one
of the greatest players in US soccer history, eder of
three World Cups, and my friend tab Ramos tab It's
a big show. We are one week away from the
official USMNT rosster, revealed by Mariso Pochettino in New York City.
(00:38):
But today we're gonna talk about who we think that
final twenty six man roster should be. Tab What was
it like putting together this group? How difficult was it?
Particularly on the bubble?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It was difficult. First of all, of course, you know,
it's it's great that we finally got here, right because
all of this up and down of week to week
keeping track of our guys and seeing who could potentially
make it, only to figure out that two weeks later, well, no,
that one is out of the question. We got to
bring a new one in and then someone starts doing
really well that we didn't think about all of those
(01:09):
things going on for the last six months. I'm glad
that we're here, Tom, because it's uh, we're just a
few days away from actually the real roster coming on,
and I think we we put a roster together of
what we think Mauricio Pochettino is gonna do. I'll frame
it that way because.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
That's an important to think.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yes, so it's not necessarily what I would do had
I had the whole pool. Let's say, it would be
more what we think from what we know of Mauricio Postino,
what he will do with with the roster and what
you know and with the selections that we've seen so far,
which have been many of them.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
That's the thing he throws you off the sad with
how many players have been called up and talking about
playing time. That is something that he is hammered home
is very very important. And then sometimes players aren't playing
and they're called in. Every case is different, every case
is new, and so I'm not even trying to be critical,
it's just there. You can't really read the tea leaves here,
because the tea leaves changed. But before we get into
(02:06):
the roster projection, and we're gonna have TAB, just do yours.
You are the stronger voice, I'll say, kind of my
own thoughts, but we're just gonna make it easier. We're
just gonna go with TAB. But before we even start
with the roster, what I want to say is it
is important to note while every person on a World
Cup roster is going to be important to the team
(02:26):
in terms of how far the United States last at
this World Cup, whether or not this is going to
be a successful run or not, it is going to
be dictated by the top players on the roster. Yes,
that sounds very intuitive and not exactly a deep thought.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
But for numbers.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Again, at the last World Cup twenty twenty two, the
first one with the expanded twenty six man roster, six
players did not see a minute and another five played
forty five minutes or less. So that's almost half of
the roster is playing less than a half of soccer.
At this World Cup, it being expanded, the group stage
games are a week apart, essentially, so you have less
(03:03):
of a need for a very large squad. A lot
of the debates that we're going to get into, and
a lot of the decisions that right now are going
to be about the last six or eight roster slots.
The likelihood of those six or eight players playing that
we're going to debate probably ferociously when we like we
do with friends, like we do in the medium shows.
They're not going to be the driving force as to
whether or not this is a successful work up for
(03:24):
the United States. So I just want to lay that out.
While all of this is very, very important, every rotter
spot matters. Who knows maybe that is going to be
the key to a moment in stoppage time, a moment
at the end of the game for one of these
players that are on the bubble. What is more important
are the guys that we're probably not going to spend
a ton of time on the locks, the polis Sis,
the Richards, the McKinney's, Matt Freeze, whoever, the guys that
(03:46):
we know are on the team. Those are going to
be the ones who dictate how far this team goes.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah, there's no question about that, because ultimately, as you said,
and you read the numbers, you know we're relying on
our top fourteen fifteen players to make this happen. And
I think our top fourteen or fifteen are good enough
to make a very good run in this World Cup.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Really quickly, Tab, as a coach yourself, do you think
that the twenty six man team is necessary in modern soccer?
Or what's twenty three adequate?
Speaker 1 (04:18):
I think personally that twenty six is too many players
to have on a roster. I think twenty three would
be a proper roster. You could even go down as
far as twenty two. Of course, you know now you're
adding an extra game. So maybe if you headed down
to twenty two. There are a few countries that are
planning on being there for eight games now rather than seven.
Who would think, hey, maybe this is a little short
(04:40):
for us, right, But it's always hard to manage a
roster that big twenty six. It's even hard. It's even
hard putting the training session together with twenty six players
on a roster. So yeah, I think it's a little
bit much.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
So, then, without further adode, Tab, let's get into it.
Who do you have is your goalkeepers for this World Cup?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah? I mean I think that Matt Freeze and Matt
Turner at this point are not a mystery, right, These
are guys that everyone will pick. And whether the next
one is, you know, Chris Brady or or Pat Shelty
or Celentano, it depends. I I choose Chris Brady to
be the third. I think he's sort of been the
quiet one, consistent in the background, and I like that
(05:22):
he's consistent. And and by the way, you know, he's
obviously not gonna play in the World Cup, so I
think it'll be great for him to make it and
to have that under his belt. You know, it's nice,
you know, it's nice to be part of something like this.
But I think he'll be the third.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
And I'm gonna do this with every positional group. We
are at three of twenty six with the goalies, like
you said, it's you know, they're not gonna bring two
and they're not gonna bring four, and the third spot
is I don't want to sound dismissive. It's inconsequential in
terms of how the cernament goes, but it is a
unbelievable career achievement to whoever it is. And whether they
want to use a spot, say Chris Brady is the
most deserving I think in terms of what he's done
(06:00):
on the field, or do they want to do they
did Sean Johnson in twenty twenty two, who was very deserving.
He was at the top of his game at the time,
but a really really strong locker room presence. Or would
you want to use the third spot on a guy
like Diego coachin, a young goalkeeper, somebody who is viewed
at in this program as the future. Those are a
lot of different ways to go, and I would agree
(06:22):
with you that I think it'll be great.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Okay, yeah, you know, good points you make about the impact,
because I did say how nice it would be for
him to go. But the impact of a World Cup
of representing your country. Sometimes if we forget about that,
we don't talk about the little things that are super important,
right like being on the field representing your country. You're
representing three hundred and fifty million people and you happen
(06:46):
to be one of eleven who you know, I mean,
it's just it's just human. It's such a huge honor
that you know, I feel I feel. I feel happy
for every player that gets an opportunity to make the roster.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Let's go to cet our back now. And the big
question is do you bring four or five or maybe
depends on the positional fluidy.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
So Tab, what do you have for center backs?
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, you know I'm gonna name four and only because
well I'll name the four. First, go with Chris Richards,
Mark McKenzie, Tim Reem and Austin Trusty. First, I'll say
Austin Trusty has has earned his way in because if
you listened to this show two months ago, I didn't
have him in the top six or seven center backs.
I just didn't think he could do it. But I
(07:29):
think he has proven that he he belongs, and in
particular when we add that to Miles Robinson's form and
injuries and all of those things. And this is the
reason that I have to explain only four center backs
at this point. I'm just not all that confidence that
Miles Robinson is at at that point where you know
(07:51):
where he you know where he's at the top of
his game in order to be able to help us,
and I think he needs to be at top of
his game to be a national team player.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
I believe what has been disappointing, and I'm certain it's
frustrating for him. He hasn't played ninety minutes since March eighth,
and I think he's played in like seven games since then.
He's been dealing with injuries, and head coach Pat Noonan
called it managing his load or whatever. Center Backs don't
have the luxury of being able to be substituted, and
(08:22):
as you said, Tap particularly, he's not somebody that was
nailed on starter. He needs every If it was Chris Richards, right,
and we should say Chris Richards last weekend came off
the field with a swollen ankle. Crystal Palace manager Oliver
Glassner said, should be fine. He hopes that he's able
to play this week in the Conference League final. But regardless,
this just looks like a knock rather than something to
(08:44):
be worried about. If if it was something that was
even more than a knock, Chris Richards is still on
this team because we've got almost a month until the
first group stage game. And by the way, if he's
able to play at all in the group stage, that's
a player who's played. Whereas if you're Miles Robinson, if
you're coming in with an injury, it's different than.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
If you're Chris Richards.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
If that makes sense, completely makes sense. And this is
the reason that I think we're spending so much time
talking about our center backs is because you're right, Chris
Richards will go no matter what. But let's think about this.
The roster is gonna get named soon. Chris Richards were
likely playing in the final, and his ankle there's a
(09:21):
possibility that his ankle is not going to be better
after that final. If anything, he's going to be worse.
And because of that, as we name the roster, I'll
name the other one player that I think will be
for me, the question in terms of Puschettino trying to
decide whether he brings five center backs because of more
because of Chris Richard's situation than anything else.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Who else was in the mix at center back? Again
we've talked about Miles Robinson. Who else was left off?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I mean, for me, I don't really see, you know,
when I look at Walker Zimmerman, I look at guys
that have been a little bit away from the team.
I just you know, and of course you know Walker
has had a great career. I don't think he's at
that point where he can help the national team. I think,
for me, the only other one that could be considered
is the Tristan Blackman because he's you know, he's been
a solid player for quite a few six seven years
(10:13):
now in the league where he's been at top level
and and I think he's at top level now for
the way he plays, and I think if if you
had to have him as a backup, it's not such
a bad backup to have. So that's the only other
one that would he I would even consider at this point.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
So for me again, so we've spoke about Miles Robinson
and Tristan Spiken as well. The only other one no
Kai Banks, for our sources. I know the US Soccer
is still speaking to the people in his camp. But
he hasn't played like at all. Like we talked about
minutes for Giorreana, he's played less lesson Gille and I
don't think it's very close to the moment. Malie Tillman
will get to him later. He's somebody who until last
(10:50):
weekend had played last minutes in the last month of Giorana.
So all that is to say, we we we focus
on it for him, but he's not the only one
that's been struggling for But regardless, no Kai Banks, young
center back for Augsburg in the Bundesliga. He has options
with Germany. With US, I believe he's eligible for one
other nation, but regardless, he's somebody that they're continuing to
(11:11):
work on and hey, maybe he's in the mix for that.
So we have four center backs, three goalkeepers at seven
on the roster. Let's talk about the wing backs.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
So wing backs, I think it's pretty easy at this point,
although the Pochettino may be thinking a little different because
he may be thinking of adding Way to this position
as a right outside back, which could eliminate someone from
from the four that I have. So the four that
I have are obviously on the left side, Anthony Robinson
and Max Arston. You know, Robinson seems like he's starting
(11:42):
to come around now, so I'm you know, I'm happy
to see that because he's been our best player for
years and over the last couple of months his level
has not been as good as he got back from
an injury, but I think he's going to be in
good form during the World Cup. So I was happy
to see that. Arston has been a great substitute. I mean,
he he did a great job over the last year
year and a half in making us forget a little
(12:05):
bit about Anthony Robinson, so I like that, and I
think he's deserving of a spot on the right side.
It gets a little bit more difficult because we have
Sergenio Desk who's coming back. Obviously that's his spot, but
he's also been playing on the left side now partly
in at PSV, so so we'll see where he is.
But I think in terms of if you had a
(12:26):
profile a starter, this one, he likely would be the one.
And and then you know, we also have Alex Freeman, who,
although he didn't play last weekend, the weekend before he
played and he really looked like a Lalliga player. I mean,
he looked like he belonged and and I think he's
in good form and in good form to start any games.
I wouldn't be surprised if he started for us. So
I'm I'm happy with what I see there. So I
(12:49):
can't imagine that it would be different than these four guys.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
And the positional versatility within this group. Alex Streaman can
play that right center back role in a back three
that hybrid was right back Serginio Desk and play either flank,
which is very rare for a fullback roll wingback to
be able to play on either side, and also the differences,
like Anthony Robinson end line to end line, relentless, really
great with duels, but he's a straight line runner and
(13:12):
he's really really good at it. Max Arbsen does not
have the same defensive ability as Anthony Robinson, but Anthony
Robinson doesn't have the same creativity and unpredictability, particularly off
the dribble that Max Arbison has. So it's it's a
really nice balance and mix here at the wing back spot.
A couple other guys, and again this is where we
get into like the gray areas with positions, because if
(13:33):
they're playing, if they're in possession, it's a three four
two one or some variation they're in. Joe Scalley probably
would be listed as an outside back, but I'd rather
him in the wide center back role in that type
of formation. But again, Joe scali is a guy that
seems to always be on the fringes of this roster.
He was at the last World Cup. He was one
of the players who didn't play a minute.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah, you know, And just as happy as I get
for players who make it, you get disappointed for the
guys who are on who are right on the edge right,
because this is a it's a lifetime opportunity, even if
he's played in one before. And to be fair time,
I I feel like Joe Scally is deserving of a spot,
you know, I just I just can't find my way
into putting them in. Although Pochatino does have that ability
(14:17):
with this and saying okay, Surge, Serginio Desk will be
my backup for the left side, which allows me to
bring Scally as another center back. But also since since
Alex Freeman can also do that, I don't know if
you're repeating yourself with that position. Also there's the added
part that way I may be your other right back,
(14:37):
in which case then you have too many right backs
somebody can't go right, and then you put Alex Freeman
as your fifth center back. You just have you know,
Sergenio Desk in the way I be your two right backs.
So there's a lot of opportunity there with the players
that we have, and you're right. But but having said
all of those things, I continue to say, I I
(14:58):
don't think Joe Scally will make the team, and I
feel bad that he probably won't because he's deserving he's
had a great season in Germany. He's been consistent in
Germany for a long time, and man, it's it's hard
to see a player that plays all the time not
make the team.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Right and for a good Bundesliga team. It's somebody who
this isn't new, this is what he's been doing for
four or five years now. He's been the un question
starter again the youngest non German to get one hundred
and fifty Bundestiga appearances. That is probably the toughest O mission.
I probably will be the toughest o mission, if not
like the second toughest on this entire roster. So again,
we are now at eleven players from goalkeeper, center backs,
(15:33):
and wing backs. We'll be right back with the rest
of our USMNT roster projector all right, welcome back to
Inside American Soccer. We're gonna go with central midfielders. Tab,
who do you think Punch is bringing there?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
So central midfielders, and let's call this a little bit
more of a defensive role, central midfield like the like
the almost like at six and eight, but almost like
a double six. You know, the guys are going to
hold a little bit more. I would say well, definitely
we have Tyler Adams, we have Tenor Testament, We have
Weston McKinney who could play the attacking role and be
more of an attacker, and so those three are definitely locks,
(16:18):
I think, on everyone's rosters, right, and then we have
to get to a couple other guys that we have
to add. And Christian roll Down has been a sort
of a Mariso Pochettino favorite. I can't imagine he's not
going to get picked. So if I had to predict,
you know, Pochettino's roster, I think he will be on it,
and then I think Sebastian and then after that Sebastian Burholter.
(16:38):
I think with the injury in particular to Johnny Cardozo
who's going to be out of the World Cup, I
think I had Sebastian Burholter sort of the next one
in and he's done well. He's having another great season
in MLS, and I think another player that likely if
you're going to pick an MLS players, who an MLS
player who plays all the time and who's making a
(16:59):
difference for his club, and we'll do whatever it takes
when he gets on the field. I think Sebastian Burholter
is that guy, and I'm I would be happy to
see him.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Go best bur Halter best eleven last season, and for me,
he's been the best fence in midfielder number eight rather
in MLS this year. He's being very productive with goals
and assists at a time where the Vancouver white Caps
need it. He's just been fantastic this year, so much
so that like I would have him ahead of Christian
Rodan kind of in this pecking order though all of
(17:28):
your points of like Pochettino has like literally called him
quote a perfect player, So maybe that is difficult to
put bur Alter ahead of roll Don, but I thought that.
So when when we talk about, you know, who would
be the last cut here, like I think it would
be rolled On versus Aiden Morris for the last.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Pot, I would I would agree with you on that.
You know, if again we we uh I think had
the disclaimer when we started this listing what we think
Podgettino is gonna do. If it was me, I certainly
would put Aiden Morris in here. Aiden Morris has had
an incredible season at at at Middlesbrough and I think
(18:06):
deserving of an opportunity and by the way, it's not
this is not just you know, given medals out. This
is about who can help us, and I think Morris
can definitely help us. So I would agree with you
on that one.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Tyler Adams do we think it's Tanner Testament starting the
first game next to him, with Leson McKinney further forward.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
I think that that there's no question that that's what
we'll see. I think we'll see Testament and Adams together.
They're great, They compliment each other really well, and I
think with what McKinney has done, he has certainly earned
that role to be a little bit freer to go forward,
to go forward more and help Polisic and Baligan get
(18:47):
into the box.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Just as a quick as side. Tannered Testament as a
player to watch. In the summer transfer window, sources tell
me that Leon are open to a departure if bids
come in the region of twenty to twenty five million euro.
There's an interest in England and there's always interest in Italy.
When he first signed for Leon two years ago, he
turned down a number of approaches from Syria like Inter
Milan wanted him. They were going to loan him, which
(19:11):
he obviously didn't want to sign somewhere just to be
loaned out Atlanta Roma, you name, and he kind of
top half Syria team they do like Tanner Tessman. So
I'm told that Leon are open to selling as long
as the bids come. Sources told me Atletico Madrid had
a bid rejected for him in January. I don't know
if they're gonna come back in from this summer, but
that's somebody who could be on the move after the
World Cup. I'm told he's very focused on the World
(19:32):
Cup rather than his club future, so there's that elsewhere
in the midfield. It's crazy. We haven't said unus Mussas.
We haven't for a reason because I don't think that
he's within a realistic shout. At the last World Cup,
not only was he a key player, like he was awesome,
like he was one of the better young players at
the last World Cup. If you told me in twenty
(19:54):
twenty two, what's more likely he has one hundred and
forty caps or he's left off the next World Cup
roster without an injury, I would have said it's much
more likely as one hundred and forty caps, and now
he's just an afterthought in this position under Pachatino.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
And I, you know, I can't believe you're saying this
because I couldn't agree more with what you're saying here, Tom.
I think I saw Musa in the in the last
World Cup, thinking, man, this is this is a ten
year national team player. You know, when I coached the
under twenty team, I remember telling the players coming in
when they were young, said, you know, that's great that
(20:27):
you made the under twenty team. But here at you
OS Soccer, we don't just care that you play for
this team. We care that you become a ten year
national team player. That's what this is about. And do
you have the discipline, do you have the mentality? Do
you have all of those things that I think you
know will make you that ten year pro at the
highest level. And I really believe that, by the way,
(20:47):
not that I believed, I continue to believe that that
Eunice Mussa can be a big, big player. Unfortunately, I
think his transfers having worked out, Unfortunately he's been stuck
with every coach thrown to the right side for whatever reason.
And we've all said he's a he's not an outside player.
I really believe that Moose can be a very very
(21:08):
good number eight, and if it was likely my team,
I would pick Moose on the team, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yeah, so we're at sixteen players rostered after the centrimentters again, Tessaman, McKenny,
Adams rolled on Bear Halter. So again sixteen of the
twenty six roster spots that we have accounted for so far.
And let's get to the attackers. And I think we're
just gonna lump some wingers, tens everybody but the out
and out center forwards for this group.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
But we have to because we don't know how we play,
so we don't know, if you know, we definitely don't
play with wingers, but if we wanted to, we have some.
So we play with those sort of internal secondary forward
type guys. So I'm not really sure. I wasn't really
sure what we were picking either, so because you no, no,
But but let's think about this. If we clearly think
(21:58):
that we're starting with Adam, test Men and McKinney as
those three, there's really only one or one spot for
all of these guys. So but let's name them anyway, Okay,
I I think that the guys that will go to
the World Cup are going to be obviously Christian Polisic,
Milie Tillman, Brandon Brandon Aronson, Tim Waia. I think Alex
(22:22):
and Dajas and Gio Rena are definitely players that I
think Mariso Bogettino will pick, That's my thought, and then
Diego Luna is sort of I also have them in
as a seventh player in this category. But this is
where I thought that potentially Mariso Bochettino can afford to
take one of these players off, and if one's gonna
(22:43):
come off, it's likely going to be Luna to add
an extra center back, in which case it would likely
be Miles Robinson. So obviously completely different positions. But I
think we almost have too many players. And as the
attacking attacking players.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Oh, there's a lot to go here, and I would
echo my my opening comments that we should focus more
on pool sic here and who makes sense to be
playing with what again? Is it poolsick a McKinnie underneath
bowigin right, let's I don't think I'm spoiling anything here.
You're gonna have balcon on your roster. But as we
look at this, Zendejas, so he's a player that you're
(23:23):
a big fan of I am as well. As we're
doing this exercise. As you said, it's about what you
think Pochettino is gonna do well in the Pochettino era.
He was called up in fall twenty twenty four. After that,
I'm looking it up right now. One win, one, two, three, four, five,
(23:44):
six seven. There have been seven windows he's been called
up once. So what makes you believe that Pochettino will
bring him to the World Cup. Wow, I think we
both agree that that he would be there on merit Well.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
I think what makes me believe is after seeing our
team in the March window and recognizing that, you know,
attacking wise, we just don't have guys who can make
a difference in the attacking third. You add that to
the fact that Zindjez is having a great season for America,
just scored two goals last week. I mean, he's in
good form. And you know, the hardest position is to
(24:20):
always find are the guys who are going to be
around the box who can actually score goals and sin
they can score goals. Because if the argument was, okay,
let's not take maybe Brandon Aronson because he's just you know,
he works so hard but he just, you know, a
final product is not there a lot of time. By
the way, he's well deserving of making it and he
(24:40):
should be on. But let's say that's a little bit
more of an argument to me to say, Okay, well
he deserves to go, but I'm gonna leave them off
because I need to get goals. I need guys to
get and Sindaez is one of those guys. That's the
only reason I'm saying it. Not necessarily because Pochatino's thinking it,
but that's what that's that's where my thinking went.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Yeah, And and he's like when we talk about profiles
and things that are different, like I don't think that
there's a player quite like him, and a lot of
these players again, I don't think that there's a player
like Girayana in the pool. Tim waia fro from what
he can do with his intelligence is off the ball,
running and obviously just his physical tools. And then I
go to Brandon Ritson, I like, I can't imagine not
(25:23):
having him on this roster. I think he's just so
valuable in his you know what you're you know what
you're getting, and and sometimes that can be negative if
you're worried about goal contributions. He's coming off his best
season ever. I spoke with him recently and he I
think he's had He's had seasons with more goal involvements.
He's played in the Champions League for Salzburg, he won,
he won the championship with Leeds last year. He's like, yeah,
(25:45):
this was my most rewarding year ever. He's like, I
think this has been my best and I don't think
it's a question of how he's played.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Again.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
I just think that he's like a coach's dream, you
know what you're gonna get. He's a great character and
all of that. So even if he ends up not
playing the world up that I think he should get
on the field, you wouldn't have to worry there that
you know he's going to be upset at playing time
or whatever. Obviously he wants to get in the field,
but he's a really, really good teammate. Diego Luna is
another that I just think he's gonna get called up,
and again I think he would be deserving. But Pochettino
(26:14):
in twenty twenty five called him up and played him
pretty much every single chance he had. And then the
one person that's just off. This is his RSL teammate,
Savir Gozo. He has not been called into a senior
camp yet, but he has been on fire for Vial
Salt Lake and he'd be a perfect fit for that
winging back role or if they needed him to play.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
As a winger. So what if you made of Gozo?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
No? I agree. I think this is the first week
where I've actually seriously considered the fact that he could
potentially get called. I just think that we're so overloaded
at this attacking role at this point that I just
don't see Pochettino. You know, you you could potentially leave
two three players out of the seven that I have name.
(26:56):
You could leave three and not change the roster at all.
Like WoT it wouldn't affect at all. It's about what
happens if things aren't working. Who can I bring off
the bench? That's really what we're talking about here, And
could gooz will be one of those guys. He absolutely
could be one of those guys. To be fair, when
I look at extra guys that could do something off
the bench, I'm actually thinking that for the team we have,
(27:19):
I like Julian Hall, you know, yeah, And I said
that before he's a scrapper. He gets every rebound you
can get, and I know that's a different position, but
you know what with bulls in the box, I mean,
this kid has just the you know, he can sort
of smell where the ball is going to be and
he's there and I like that part. But but you know,
either one of these new kids could be could be
(27:40):
part of the team.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, So I ultimately don't think either it's gonna get
called up, but I it would be deserved to be
the twenty fifth, twenty six guy in the roster. Again,
whether they're gonna play or not, right like they are,
and it's not just like, oh, we want to bring
a young player for the sake of it. Like I
think both of these guys have earned being in the conversation.
Do their play. Hey, if this was a Winter World
(28:02):
Cup like Qatar was, I kind of think both would
make it. But there's not enough time, I think for
them to get in, particularly because neither have been in
a senior camp. Just a couple of other names. Jack McGlenn,
I don't like he's just somebody without a position at
the international level because he doesn't doesn't have the physical
ability like maybe you could put him ex to Talyle
radamscause Tar Radams covers that much ground, but he Puschino
(28:25):
has played him further forward. He's just not dynamic enough,
I think with his movement at this moment. But like man,
his left foot is probably the best of the pool.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Yeah, I like Jack. I mean, I think he does
everything right. You could he could certainly, you know, go
right into the team and the team wouldn't miss a beat.
I really believe that. It's just that he's behind so
many other guys at this point that I just I
don't see him breaking through it all. I mean, and
I and I and now I'll be fair. I mean
I I just I wouldn't completely eliminate Jen Luca Bucio either.
(28:55):
I mean, he's had a great season. You know, he
can score goals as well. He you know, he's a
past you know, for ninety minutes every game in the
middle of midfield. He's always available, getting to the right
spots at the right time. All of those things were
just sort of overloaded in this position. And those are
guys that we we learned to unfortunately forget about them
(29:16):
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
So that's twenty three of the twenty six spots covered.
When we get to center forwards and tab you have
three strikers.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Yeah, I have three at this point, and I don't
I don't really see that changing. Obviously, Flow Baligan is
if not our hottest player, you know right up there.
I mean, he's had a great season. I think he's
he's a number nine that would play not just for
our national team but for many national teams in this
World Cup. And then I have you know, how'd you
(29:47):
write and Ricardo Peppi as the other two? I just
I don't think that that can at this point. I
don't think that can really change that much.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
No, and particular, like I toyed with the idea like
could he bring a fourth forward, because there's the possibility
of playing with like two up top, But I don't
think so, because it's more likely that it's like Balligan
and Polis sic or Baligan and Way maybe right, like
it's it's more likely that the second forward is if
they that's how they set up, it'll come from one
(30:18):
of the attacking midfield spots, rather than like Balagan and
Peppy have looked good together and then you would still
have Hawji right Anyway, if you needed to change the
game like that.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
But I did.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I did take that thought around the block at testrovi
it and couldn't quite get there for Julian Hall at
the fourth spot, or Brian White or Josh Sargent. But
I do believe that if there was a fourth forward,
it would be Julian Hall.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Yeah, yeah, that's exactly right. There is no way to
figure it. I even I even thought, Okay, Howgi right
will play the left wing and where I'll play, you know,
four three to three. Haji goes to the left way,
I goes to the right side. And now you have
a nine? Can you have an extra? I mean, it's
still the numbers just don't add up, considering you have
all these attacking guys, because in the end, you know,
(31:01):
something's got to give. So is Tilman not going his
Errans and not going his Rayna and not going That's
basically what we're looking at.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Yeah, and and yeah, I want to go backtrack a
little bit now that we've named all twenty six Malie Tillman.
Since the March window, there were six Bundesliga games for
Labor CEUs and he did not start one of them.
He started this weekend in their final game of the season.
It was a dead rubber as the end of the
season whatever. So that was his first start since starting
(31:29):
for the United States in the March break, the March
international window, so that's not ideal. Giorana came off the
bench again, but he's looked better over the last month,
and as we've covered numerous times, he was an unused
sub in the three or four games leading into the
March window, only got called in, So that is what
we'd expect there. Again, there's a lot of talented attackers,
(31:49):
and I guess for me, like if you're maybe even
go all the way out tap, if you impromptu can
do your starting eleven four the Paraguay game, the opener.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
Oh yeah, I would. I would have to go with
Sergenio Desk on the right side. I would go with
h Richards and McKenzie in the in the middle, and
I would go with Anthony Robinson on the left, uh,
Tyler Adams and and Testament in front of those in
front of those four uh. And then I'd have to
say McKinney will play a little bit more of that
(32:25):
that attacking role. And then potentially now you have an
opportunity to put to put three guys in front right,
so you could you could go with you know, you
could go with Way I'm Polisic a little bit wider
and Balogun up top. But it's likely that that's not
going to happen. It's likely that we're going to go
three center backs right, and if you go three center backs,
(32:48):
you you just take one of the attackers off right,
you know, way I would be off you could likely
play if I had to do that again. Now with
the three center backs, then you would go h. You
could potentially go right side a Freeman center Richards, left
side McKenzie out of the three, the three center backs,
and then you can go you can go Way on
(33:09):
the right, Anthony Robinson on the left, you know, and
now you have Tyler Adams with tessaman and and and
mckennie in front of him and not polistic and batting upfront.
That's more like the most likely scenario, and I think
that's where we could do best.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
And tab I agree with you.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Man to man a freezing goal that back three the
same way that everything situated, and I think that that's
the more like I think that this team has looked
best in that in that system. I think that there
is at least the possibility like years of four to
two three, one to four two three, however you want
to call it, this team has just looked better in
you know, building out of a back three, and again
(33:46):
with the players that they have, like Freeman is a
natural right back, so when you're defending out of a
four to four to two shape, he's playing in that
right back star when Miles Robinson was in the team
where he's comfortable defending wide on the touch line because
of his athletic and aggression while not having to get
forward like he's a wingback right. So I think that
the players, it makes sense, particularly in the defensive side
(34:08):
of the game, because we haven't had that defensive stability
without having a back three. And I think even in March,
when Pochatino tried to tinker, unless that he saw some
things that I didn't see or he came to different
conclusions than I did, I think I'd be walking away
from that saying, okay, the two pros for the World
Cup it's a back three and the World Cup it's
a back tw No.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
And here's what's interesting. I think if Paraguay is going
to score on us, is likely going to be down
the middle, so and Sizo's going to come inside. Al
Maron doesn't really have that speed anymore to get all
the way down the line. He doesn't do that right.
He comes a little bit more inside. And I think
if we played with center backs, we'd make If we
played with three center backs, we'd make it really hard
for Paraguay to uh to score. I think that would
(34:49):
be you know, if if we're looking at the first
game to start us off, I think that's probably the
right lineup to have.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I would too.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Again, the the official roster is going to be announced
on Tuesday, May twenty six. There will be an event
in New York City. That was our US M and
T roster projection for the World Cup. Folks, We're almost here.
We are so very close. We're gonna take one quick
break here. Next up, Tab's gonna tell the story of
the week that changed the US national team. Thank you
for listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rate, review, and
(35:21):
subscribe where we get to your podcast. Welcome back to
Inside American Soccer. Let's go inside the locker room with
tab Ramos.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Tab.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
We're gonna talk about a very pivotal time off the field.
You've spoke of this period that we're getting to at
the nineteen ninety World Cup on the field about wow,
like we're just getting to the World Cup was such
an achievement as it was, and then we got ran
over in the first game, and we need a reaction
for the second game. So tab, I want to know
what were those days like between those two games? Four
(36:00):
playing Italy and after playing that first one where you
got knocked around.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Yeah, you know, I think you and I have laughed
enough about our preparation going into the qualifying for the
nineteen ninety World Cup because we had nothing, and obviously,
as we've mentioned before, you know on the show that
we you know, at times, you know, I was training
in the park by myself or whatever, you know, and
most of the players were living through a little bit
of that, right. But then I started to think a
(36:27):
little bit about there are certain moments that kind of
define where you go, right, there are moments in life
like sort of the forks on the road kind of thing,
and I start to think about moments that only you know,
you start thinking about moments, but when you get to
lift certain moments, because there were other moments that allowed
you right, allowed you to get to that time you
(36:47):
where you have the big moment. And I would say this.
You know, we were qualifying for the nineteen ninety World Cup.
We had a game in Saint Louis against Costa Rica.
We ended up winning the game one zero. I scored
day one zero, the one zero. Not that that matters
because I scored very few goals. But but you know,
but but here's the moment in that game that was
(37:10):
that was really important. You know. We we had lost
to Costa Rica the away game, the first game of qualifying.
We knew we couldn't lose any more games if we
were going to qualify to the World Cup. So we
we were winning one zero and with about five minutes
in the in the game, Costa Rica gets a penalty
kick and Dave Venola saves it, you know, and that's
(37:31):
one moment. So we win that game. It becomes a
big game because we stay like right behind Costa Rica
in the fight for qualifying. So that's a little moment.
Then you can move on to Okay, now you have
to last game. This is you know, six months later,
you have to go win and Trinidad and Tobago, you know,
in front of their whole crowd. Many people I've heard
already about this game, right that they only needed a
(37:54):
tie to go through, and we needed to win the game.
That was the only way we could go to the
World Cup. They say him as full the whole everyone
heard about that, right. But at the end of the day,
it's also it was just Trinidad, you know. So even
though you look back, you're like, okay, you know, but
in the end, you know, obviously no disrepected Trinidad and Tobago,
but it was Trinidad. It was just one more big
(38:16):
moment that we had to get through. So we get
that moment. And by the way, Trinidad had Dwight York's
which you know obviously became a Manchester United legend, which
you could say Dwight Yorks was equal or bigger to
Christian Polisic. I mean that level lot, you know, So,
I mean, I don't think I'm saying anything crazy here, right.
So they had some players that were good players, Russell
(38:40):
a lot of people who played at Benfica, like they
had big players. But anyway, so so then you get
to the World Cup and then every you know, for
the most part, a lot of people know the story
about how you know, we were just you know team
amateur players, you know, like we weren't very good, and
we we played the first game and we've all those
great moments, gave us an opportunity to play our big moment,
(39:01):
which was you know, the Czechslocke game. And when we
play that game, we we got demolished. You know, we
absolutely were outplayed and every possible way you can think of.
When you look at a five to one result, you
could say, Okay, I the result is five to one,
and I think I just watched the seven one or
eight one game, right, So that's sort of what it was.
(39:24):
And that's okay, because you know, sometimes you have the
little growing pains. But I think this is where the
focus of my let's call it the story is going
to be because it's the reaction that we had as
players to that, to that loss. And I feel like
over the next three or four days, all we had
(39:46):
in training were fistfights, everyone hacking everyone else. There were fouls,
there were every Our next four days were probably the
most competitive training sessions that we've ever had with the
national teams. And I believe if I had to go
back And the reason I'm talking about this is because
(40:07):
you know, obviously, after those four days, we had to
go to Rome and play Italy, and Rome, Italy was
one of the favorites to win the World Cup, and
everybody thought they're going to beat us by ten and
break all the scoring records. This is what the papers
were saying. I'm not just making that up. That's what
people were saying. And in those four days, I really
believe that the true spirit and the mental toughness and
(40:29):
aggressiveness of our current you know what happened over the
next thirty years of our men's national team. I truly
believe that that's the week when our national team was born.
That's the moment when we had four or five guys
and I can name whether it was Brian Blisz or
John Harrik's or you know, Bruce Murray, Eric Heikman, Paul Kala, Juri,
(40:53):
Marcello Balboa. I believe that there was a group of
players that week that decided, hey just got hammered and
we don't belong. But no one's running over us like that. Ever, again,
that's not happening to us. And I think it's a
key moment because I you know, as I mentioned all
the other moments that were great because we won, we
(41:14):
ended up losing Dataly one zero in a game that
we almost tied at the end. But I do believe
that that was the birth of our national team program.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Top in in the locker room, in on the training grounds.
Was it things that were being verbalized? Was it the
coaching staff or was it leaders on the team saying like,
we're getting fucking stuck in this has never happened, this
isn't or was it more of just like everybody on
the same page, quietly like steaming a little bit and okay,
(41:42):
the first fifty to fifty challenging training were flying into
the like was it verbalized or was it everybody like
head down, let's let's go.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Everybody reacted in a different way. But we we we
come from a generation of times where no one kept quiet,
like you said what had to be said. So when
you came in the locker room, there's always things flying around,
you know, because people are you know, people are upset,
they're mad at the result, and they're not standing and
they're not going you know what, you might want to
(42:11):
go down, but I'm not going down with you. If
that's the way it's going to happen. And by the way,
you're not taking me down. So that's sort of that's
sort of the feeling of what the locker room was
like and what the week of training was like, and
then so and so. What I love about that is
that accountability because at that moment you you have to
grow right there and you become like the guy that
(42:33):
doesn't want to lose, or you become one of the
other guys, and unfortunately one of the other guys is
quickly forgotten.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
Yeah, And I think it's interesting too because I think
I know how close you are with Cello, I know
how close you are with a lot of the guys
on that team. I'm certain that if Cello saw you
coming into a fifty to fifty, he wasn't holding back
on you because he loves you, right like. And it's
just interesting to me that you guys could probably say
f you two each other more than humans have and
(43:02):
then immediately when the whistle's blown, arms around each other,
right like?
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Is that is that? What kind of the vibe was
there or was it still tense after training?
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Oh? No, it was it was tense always during training.
After training, you leave it at training. But you know,
I can't tell you how many times and arguments and
pushing around I did with Arts for example, and Hearts
was from my town, like we grew up together, but
we were on the field kicking each other all the time,
(43:30):
like this is you know, not that listen. I'm not
encouraging anyone to kick anyone else. But the point here
is you have to play hard, and you have to
play hard against everybody, because this is you don't want
to go down. If you want to be a better team,
everyone has to be on the same page. And I
do believe that that week. Although you know, unfortunately many
of those players, you know, let's say like Eric Heikman
(43:51):
never made it to the to the top of the game, right,
although obviously he went to the World Cup. How much
higher can you go? Right?
Speaker 2 (43:58):
Exactly?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
But but there are players that sort of fell off
after that ninety World Cup. The team completely changed, but
there was a group that stayed together, and that group
sort of held it together to become better by nineteen
ninety four.
Speaker 3 (44:12):
Honestly, again looking back at the mentality, and I love
the finding those those tentacles of the American fighting spirit
and something that defined the team long after you stopped playing.
I think of the US M and T s that
I grew up on, like particularly six and twenty ten,
twenty fourteen. I believe I was in high school for that,
(44:34):
but like that was my favorite thing about those teams.
There was more talent elsewhere. Often was particularly around twenty
ten when when they're going to Totel with Spain and
Brazil in the Confederations Cup. In twenty fourteen, Germany and
Portugal in the group stage, Yeah, you might be better
than us, you ain't out working us, and if you're
gonna beat us, it's gonna hurt. You're gonna have to
(44:55):
earn every blade of grass that we give you. And
I think that's something that maybe I took for granted
as a kid, because you just assume when you're a kid,
like if this is what it's like, this is what
it must be like everywhere. And I think that's one
thing that had to be rebuilt within the program. And
I know that's what something Poschatino felt very very strongly about.
Greg Barlter had other things with the culture, not that
he wasn't competitive as hell, right, but it was more
(45:17):
about he had to rebuild an entire locker room. Right,
it was a complete changing of an error. And then
Pochatino comes in and it's purposeful insecurity that he wants
everybody to have to compete every single day.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
Yeah, and what happened after that? You started adding guys
like you know, you know, well Eric Ruanala was in
that World Cup, and then you started adding guys like
Alexi Lalas, right, and you know, you started adding So
the guys that added to what we already had were
tough guys too, like they added to that person, you know.
(45:48):
So it wouldn't be surprising if you walked into a
locker room at halftime in a game we're losing two
to one where Alexi had just thrown the gatorade jug
up against a wall and there's it all over the place,
I mean, or breaking a board or it was someone
else that did it. But you know, these were not
surprising things. Again, not saying that these things are okay,
(46:10):
just saying that that's this is why sometimes as you're saying,
because I can you know, it's sort of your feeling
and I you know, I catch that that that's what
we learned about the national national team was just now
It wasn't just about you know, playing well all the time.
It was about giving everything you had because you knew
that the way the national team represented you was the
(46:32):
way you want to be represented you. They give everything
for you, and I would give everything to be on
that team, and that's sort of the feeling. But I,
you know, going back to the beginning of this, I
believe that was that was born that week.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
All I can say is I hope like hell to
see a lot of that here at the twenty twenty
six wal Cup from this group. But TAB thank you
as always for bringing us inside the locker room and
to you all, thank you for listening to our roster
prediction episode. Again, we're going to have a reaction so
when the official roster is announced.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
On Tuesday, so stay tuned for that.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
You can subscribe and rate and review Inside American Soccer
wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
We'll be back in very us sear
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