USMNT Dominates Uruguay, How We Did It, Who Impressed and Who Disappointed

In our debut episode Tom and Tab give you the backstory on their connection and breakdown the extremely successful November window for the USMNT. From how Mauricio Pochettino has changed the culture of the team, to who got themselves on the plane, and who is in trouble. They give their current Starting XI for the US team and Tab tells the story of how he helped identify Tanner Tessmann, brought him into the National Team fold and what makes him different than almost any other player on the team. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In the previous regime under Greg Burroholtzer. There's a lot
of things that were good. One of the things, and
I've spoken to a couple of players about this where
they've said that, yeah, you know, kind of knew what
the team was gonna be, and for the most part,
right like, there wasn't quite that same competition.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
For all of the roster sponts or all of the
starting spots.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
These guys were called the Golden Generation back in twenty
nineteen when we sort of got all the younger players
together and sort of the process and the message coming
out of US Soccer was that this was really gonna
be the twenty twenty sixth team. And so these guys
were not playing I think they were never playing that
game that they were in. They were always looking into

(00:39):
the future. They were always thinking that, hey, we're the
young guys. We're gonna play this World Cup and then
we're gonna play the next one. And I remember saying
at the time, Hey, this is the national team. By
the way, you know, the national team needs to call
always the best players today. Whoever's playing best today, that's
who needs to be on the national team. You're never

(01:00):
guaranteed tomorrow's game. You're never guaranteed next month's game. And
I think that's the environment that we're finally back in.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Now, what's going on? Everybody?

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Welcome into the very first episode of Inside American Soccer,
a podcast where we dive into all things US men's
national team every week in the pivotal run.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
To the twenty twenty six World Cup and beyond.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
I'm your host, Tom Bogert, and I'm joined by my
friend and one of the greatest players in US soccer history,
a veteran of three World Cups and a very successful
United States U twenty World Cup head coach, Tom Ramos.
Now top, we are extremely excited to start the show.
Maybe I shouldn't say we. I'll see if you have
a surprise for me here, but we want to go
inside what's really happening with the US team, the players,

(01:53):
the coaches, the pressure from rosster debates to tactical tweets,
what's working, what's not, what it means as we approach
the World Cup. Tap How excited are you about this team?
About getting stuck in?

Speaker 4 (02:06):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:06):
Well, Tom, first of all, it's great to be doing
this show with you. I know all the work that
you do every day. I don't know if you sleep
at night at all with all the work you do.
But I'm very excited about doing this show, and in
particular I'm very excited starting to get very excited about
our national team. I think we couldn't be starting this
show at a better time. I think we're turning things

(02:29):
around finally, and it's really going to be great over
the next few months of analyzing everything these guys are doing.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
I agree, right when things got really really good. Now
we have a four month break between matches. But don't
worry all the players, or most of the players, the
non MS guys, at least, they're going to be playing
a ton this winter. There is endless storylines, endless things
to get into, and I really can't wait before we
really get stuck in tab again. We all know you
from your incredible playing days, the way that you set
the tone for this program, of the history of this program.

(02:58):
But beyond that, I hope that people will look fondly
at your time as the United States you twenty head coach,
and particularly with this cycle, a lot of this current
pool played under you.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
Yeah no, and that's really what it's about. I think
it's It's nice that I had quite a long career
with the national team, but I think what's most important
is is my connection a little bit with this particular
group and who they are, not just as a coach
of the under twenty national team, but havn't been the
technical youth technical director of US Soccer at the time
to sort of overseeing all of the youth national teams

(03:33):
with which these guys sort of came through. It's a
great Certainly, they're great players. They've been successful in the
youth and the youth game, and I think we've been
waiting for that to be translated into the senior game,
and finally I think we're starting to see the results
of that.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, we talk often about potential, about ceilings, about what
could be. And again the team in twenty twenty two
at the World Cup I thought were solid, strong, They
didn't overperform, but they certainly met expectations. And that was
the youngest team at the twenty twenty two World Cup.
So it's been a bit of a rocky road between
World Cups here. But again after this November window with

(04:10):
wins over Paraguay and Uruguay, things are looking up and
feeling pretty good and toab. Like you said, the trajectory
is going, but before we get into the games, just
to establish our relationship, our connection. So we're both from
New Jersey, but proudly from New Jersey and thinking back
to growing up like you, Tony Miola, John Hark's like
those guys were legends, right, like the mythical figures kind

(04:33):
of in my family. I was born in ninety five,
so I wasn't there for live for the ninety four
World Cup. But I'm well read and well watched on
all of that stuff. I was an okay player. I
played for your academy MJSA back in the day, and
one time you coached me and a group of players
on a trip to Argentina, and I'm proud to say

(04:57):
that is where I knew I was not going to
be a profession player. When we were playing river Plate
and I couldn't get near any of those kids. And
I thought I was pretty good when I was fourteen
and I was like, oh, that's what a professional soccer
player looks like. So tap, thank you, thank you for
being there. Wow, I realized I wasn't quite good at that.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
Well, you know, this is a great thing.

Speaker 3 (05:15):
I'm First of all, I obviously started my own club
back in two thousand and four when I retired from playing,
and I grew the club from four teams to thirty six,
so we were doing something right at the time. But
I tell you, I think, you know it's it's for
me as a coach. It's it's great to see some
of let's say, my former players doing well, not just

(05:36):
in soccer but in life in general. Just yesterday, Duke Lacroix,
one of my players who plays for a Haiti, qualified
to the World Cup and that's really exciting.

Speaker 4 (05:46):
So you know, I remember the trip to Argentina.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
I liked always getting all of all of our players
in front of some of the best players from around
the world, and I think what better experience is to
go to the place where the players have, you know,
a real hunger for being successful. And obviously those were
tough matchups for us, but I think a great learning experience, a.

Speaker 1 (06:09):
Little bit tougher on me than than a couple of
the other guys who would go on to go pros.
But enough about that enough. Let's getting into the real
topics and what we're all here for. On today's show,
we just have so much.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
To get to.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
Hopefully though, it'll just be a minimum of yelling over
each other, as New Jersey guys tend to do, but
no promises on that front. We've got reaction to the
Paraguay and New Uruguay wins, plus which players help to
hurt their chances of making the World Cup roster in
this window. With that, Tab and I will give our
best starting eleven for this group where we sit right now.
I'm sure there will be plenty of changes between.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Now and June.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
Then we'll go inside the locker room where Tab gives
us a story of how he brought Tanner Testament into
the national team. And beyond that, we'll go inside the notebook,
where I give you three storylines or my latest scoops,
everything inside US men's national team soccer that you need
to be watching this week and moving forward. That's what's
to come today and every week. Please rate, review, subscribe
to Inside American Soccer with Tom Boger and sab Ramas.

(07:00):
You got your podcast. It's so important, so helpful. Please
show the love and we appreciate you. We're excited to
get sucked in here. So let's take a quick break
before we break down the wins against Paraguay and who

(07:25):
what a November window it was for the US MNT.
Despite being without Christian pol Tyler, Adam Chris, Richard Lesson, McKinney,
Tim Whale, Anthony Robinson, Malie, Timman, and Moore. The United
States be Paraguay two to one and thrashed Uruguay five one.
These are two teams that are going to the World Cup,
and particularly in Uruguay, I know that they've been a
little bit down lately. Tab this is a team that

(07:46):
I don't think anybody would be surprised if they make
a little run, particularly getting to the knockout stage is
a bare minimum. All that is to say, these are
two good teams and two teams that friendly doesn't really
ever happen, whether it's an exhibition or or a World
Cup match. But I thought was really, really good. So
it's now a five game unbeaten run from what I
believe to have been the rock bottom of the Mauricio

(08:07):
Pochatino era that lost to South Korea in September in
which they were dominated out of the game for the
first sixteen minutes. Five games unbeaten, with four wins, all
five of which against World Cup bound opponents. So Tap,
what is your biggest takeaway here from the November window.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
Well, I think there's no question that the biggest takeaway
is that we we just beat and out played two
teams that are legit World Cup teams who potentially qualify
every time. You know, obviously, you know, Paraguay has great
individual players who can you know, turn a game upside

(08:42):
down anytime. We didn't allow them any chances to do that.
As a matter of fact, they created very few, maybe
a couple of chances the whole game. And then meeting
Uruguay team that's always difficult because even you know they're
at a down moment, they're not playing well, they've been
sort of going in the wrong direction and for about
the last year, but they're always a tough team to

(09:03):
be I think they gave up more than one goal
in a game only a couple times over the last
couple of years.

Speaker 4 (09:09):
I mean, you just don't score on them.

Speaker 3 (09:11):
And for us to score five and by the way,
could have scored more, I think says a lot for
where this team is, where the intensity of this team is.
And you know, you know, one of the things that
really stood out for me is that this team is
starting to look once again like an American team from
an effort standpoint, that's something that we've been missing for years.

(09:33):
And now when you add the fact that our players
are getting better and now we're matching the effort of
previous American teams, I think those are ingredients for success,
and I think what we saw in the Uruguay game
is certainly that signature win that we've been waiting for
for years now.

Speaker 1 (09:52):
Yeah, the fight, the intensity, the energy that has been lacking.
That's something that Marico Bochatino has stressed, both from what
I've heard internally in the lock from what we've seen
that comes out of the locker room, and pretty much
every press conference that I've been on that is that
is something that he's worked really, really hard to instill
in this group. He's also worked to instill competitiveness and
this idea that I don't care what your name is,

(10:13):
I don't care how many caps you have, I don't
care about any of this, Like you got to earn
your spot on the roster, on the field every single game,
every single window. And again, there are several players that
are missing due to either current injuries or managing injuries
or managing workload. But he hasn't been afraid to drop guys.
I mean you go back to the summer. Christian Polisik
said he needed a little bit of a break. He

(10:35):
would he wanted to play in the two friendlies against
Switzerland and Turkey, but sit out the Gold Cup, and
Poshtino said no, like all right, like you're either all
in or you're not here. I'm not calling you go
back to the summer. He wasn't gonna call it Giorna
or Weston McKinney even if they weren't with the club
World Cup. And he's done this kind of time and
time again. Tap they've caught up seventy one players in
this calendar year. I would say that's too much, but

(10:58):
you can't really knock like the foundation of his message
of trying to show everybody you have a chance. And
in the previous regime under Greg Burroholzer, there's a lot
of things that were good. One of the things, and
I've spoken to a couple of players about this where
they've said, like, yeah, you know kind of knew what

(11:19):
the team was going to be and for the most part,
right like there wasn't quite that same competition for all
of the roster sponts or all of the starting spots.

Speaker 3 (11:27):
Yeah. I mean there's a lot to dissect there, because
you can start with the last part in which you say, Okay,
the team didn't change at all over the last however
many years under the previous coach. And I think the
reason for that was that these guys were called the
Golden Generation back in twenty nineteen when we sort of

(11:47):
got all the younger players together and sort of the
process and the message coming out of US Soccer was
that this was really going to be the twenty twenty
six team. And so these guys were not playing I
think they were never playing that game that they were in.
They were always looking into the future that we're always
thinking that, hey, we're the young guys. We're gonna play

(12:08):
this World Cup and then we're gonna play the next one.
And I remember saying at the time, Hey, this is
the national team.

Speaker 4 (12:15):
By the way, you know, the national team.

Speaker 3 (12:17):
Needs to call always the best players today. Whoever's playing
best today, that's who needs to be on the national team.
You're never guaranteed tomorrow's game, You're never guaranteed next month's game.
And I think that's the environment that we're finally back
in now. I think it took Mauricio Porchettino a lot
longer than we wanted it to take, But I think

(12:38):
Marizio Pochettino now is at a point where he says.

Speaker 4 (12:42):
What starters, who are we missing?

Speaker 2 (12:45):
Right?

Speaker 3 (12:46):
And this is a good place to be because if anything,
what we just saw against Paraguay and Uruguay shows the
guys who are not here, who are potentially the starter
is that, Hey, when I get back, I better get
on my horse and be the best I can be
because this is not my spot guaranteed. And I and
I think that's a good place to be.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yeah, after the game on Tuesday night reached Pochettino his
press conference. He comes in jubilant or smiling.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
He's he's a pretty affable guy, win, loser, draw.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
I particularly pregame, but after the game they went five,
nothing you could tell he's feeling he's feeling fine or whatever.
The mood in the locker room was obviously very positive.
The first two questions were fair questions, but he took
exception to maybe the way they're framed, to the way
they're asked, the idea behind The question from a couple
of reporters in the room was like, you know, the depth,
you wanted to improve the depth. You wanted to improve

(13:38):
the strength of the pool and be able to rely
on more players than previous Like pretty much the question
was without your regular starters end quote, and Pochetino is like,
what is this?

Speaker 2 (13:48):
What do you mean regular starters?

Speaker 1 (13:49):
Like his direct quote was I hate the no regular
players question. What does this mean? It's USA playing, It's
the national team. Stop with that mindset every time our
decision to pick starting XI. That's the US men's national
team playing. He kind of got annoyed by the next
question and said, he goes, I don't know what happened,
Like we we won five to one.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
It feels like we lost five one.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
Do I need to go back in the locker room
and then come back out and restart the press conference.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
And then they kind of asked.

Speaker 1 (14:17):
About Burhalter's a really good set piece goal where it
was at a tight angle, he rolls it short, it's
touched back to him and he fires in the top corner.
And with him being a little touchy after the first
couple of questions, it was like, hey, did you work
on that in the training ground or did the players
kind of have the freedom to come up that with
that on their own? And he throws his hands up

(14:38):
and goes, no, no, what happened by coincidence? Like you could
tell he was like really annoyed by everything, and again,
like I just think that that level of fight, that
level of again continuing to establish no, no, no, there are
no regular players.

Speaker 2 (14:50):
Nobody is guaranteed his starting spot. I don't care. I
don't care about the players who weren't here. I only
care about the players who were here.

Speaker 3 (14:55):
And by the way, I think what's really important about
yesterday and your absolute right. I mean, he was basically
insulted by the fact that he was asked if, hey,
do you guys work on this stuff or doesn't happen
by chance?

Speaker 4 (15:07):
Because that's really the question.

Speaker 3 (15:09):
And you know, obviously he's a coach that's been around,
so I'm you know, I can understand that, I can
understand him being insulted by that. At the same time,
I have to say this about the guys who are
not here and the guys who were here and play
the game. You know, there are games that you played,
say we played against Bermuda, No disrespect to Bermuda, but

(15:29):
you know, you can make plays. You can score a
hat trick in that game, and people are always going
to say, hey, you know, okay.

Speaker 4 (15:36):
It was Bermuda, right.

Speaker 3 (15:37):
But if there was one thing that we said before
the game against Uruguay that was that, hey, when you
make plays in this game, they really matter.

Speaker 4 (15:46):
These plays matter.

Speaker 3 (15:47):
So if you make a play today that it matters,
because if you can make it today, you likely can
make it against anyone. And I think there was a
lot of guys that made big plays last night, so
it doesn't matter at this point for Pochettino, who's not here.
What matters is that the eleven guys that played last
night against URUGUAYE made the plays necessary to win big games,

(16:09):
and that really matters.

Speaker 1 (16:12):
I agree, and I like what he did in terms
of like a motivation standpoint and preaching his message. But
let's not also be naive. I think pulistic Adams and
Richards feel pretty safe that they're going to be starters
if they're fit, but maybe maybe I'm just assuming too much.
Really quickly, my biggest takeaway from this window is that

(16:32):
there's an identity and a foundation on which to build
upon moving forward and currently has already put in the
building blocks this time September again after the first game,
particularly after the first sixty minutes. That was after the
losses of Switzerland and Turkey. They didn't perform super well
at the Gold Cup that got ran off the pitch

(16:53):
by Mexico in the final. It took a penalty shootout,
I believe against Guatemala or Costa Rica.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
They didn't.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
They weren't impressive in any way in that Gold Cup.
And then to follow it up with just getting thrashed
by South Korea and they didn't look like they deserve
to be on the same pitch quite frankly, and they didn't.
More worrying was they lacked ideas. They I kept asking people,
what is this team's identity? What do you and everybody
had kind of shrugged their shoulders. Right now, we know

(17:20):
what the identity is. It's it's at least basic out
of like a three four to two to one in possession,
that's how they like to build. It's a four to
four to two out of possession, but it gives more
freedom to those attacking. Three. Baligin in particular has looked
really good over the last few months in finding the
channels and finding the space. Pulisik when he's played, looks
more connected to the other attackers where he sometimes could

(17:43):
be a little isolated in the four two three one
or you know, he's not quite a ten, but you
want them more centrally. So I think at the very least,
this structure and this style of pressing and wanting to
press and wanting to be on the front foot. They
said that in the summer, they said that before the
game against South Korea. There was no evidence of that
on the field, but I think again, after these last

(18:03):
five games, five and a half really, when they switched
to the three, four to one in the second African
South Korea, they've been they've been good. But more impressive
to me is that it's been a cohesive plan and
you watch this team and you can say, oh, I
know what they're trying to do.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
Yeah, you're you know, you're you're right.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
I mean, we've been waiting for that, right because I think,
you know, for the last year we've tinkered, not only
with the players we've called in and you called it.
It was seventy players that we called, but it seemed
like every time we played we played a different system.

Speaker 4 (18:36):
We were doing something.

Speaker 3 (18:37):
Different at times when when Jedi played, he was all
the way inside if you remember, you know, at times
both outside backs were going forward at the same time.
So we were doing all kinds of different things. And
now it seems like we have that identity back. Now
I'm going to put on the brakes a little bit
here because we also have to see that we have

(19:00):
to look back just three months ago, a couple months
ago when we played European team right in Switzerland did
destroy us. And so now we have four months that
are going to be really difficult for us because we're
coming back from such a positive and I think that
we're all thinking, well, we you know, we were hoping
that we get to World Cup quarterfinal.

Speaker 4 (19:18):
I think we can do it, and and by the way,
I think we can.

Speaker 3 (19:22):
But I think we have to make sure that when
we come back in the next window, we come back
with the same intensity that we left this one.

Speaker 1 (19:29):
I completely agree. As a coach, you could speak to
as much better than me, but it's never quite as
bad as you fear the game against South Korea, and
maybe it's never quite as perfect as things feel, even
after a five to one win against Uruguay. On the
individual front, I thought this was a really fascinating camp,
particularly against Uruguay. This was already a team and I

(19:51):
already mentioned all of the guys that are missing from
the squad itself. From Paraguay to Uruguay, nine different players
entered the starting eleven, So we really didn't know what
to expect in that seme game because I thought the
first performance was really strong. Only Matt Freeze and Serginio
Desk started both games, and over this window, over these
one hundred and eighty minutes, we saw pretty much everybody.

(20:12):
There's a lot of good performances that'll happen when when
you win two games against two good teams. The first
guy that we got to talk about, and I can't
believe I haven't mentioned his name yet, Giorana. He comes
back for the first time in what a year and
a half. Four minutes into his first game against Paraguay,
he scores aheader. He goes off in celebration. You can
feel like the emotion. You could see the teammates rallying

(20:32):
around him, which I thought was really cool because there
has been issues there in the past, and unfortunately it
is part of his story, but he played really.

Speaker 2 (20:40):
Well against Paraguay.

Speaker 1 (20:41):
Sometimes you know he's never gonna be he's never gonna
press like Brendan Aronson, but he's also gonna do things
that only really Christian pools that can do. In this pool,
he's a special player and we all hope that he
stays healthy and everything goes according to plan. So I
thought this was a really impressive window for Gioranna, who
then comes off the bench against Uruguay and assist.

Speaker 3 (21:01):
It's likely that that's the one that's the one player
that made the most progress. Obviously we'd have to talk
about Freeman as well, but I think when we talk
about Gurina because we didn't expect anything.

Speaker 4 (21:13):
I mean, he hasn't played games, you know, and so
havn't said that.

Speaker 3 (21:17):
I would agree with you that he and Polistic are
the ones that can actually make plays in those very
difficult pockets in between the defensive midfielders and the back line.
And so gior Arena I think, for me has likely
locked a spot for the World Cup, just because I
don't feel that gi Arena is or will be a

(21:39):
ninety minute player by the World Cup, at least as
long as he doesn't play for his club. I mean
you you have to think he's twenty three years old.
He hasn't really played ninety minute games in years three
four years, right, And you would want a twenty three
year old to be playing thirty forty to fifty games
in a year that are ninety minute games in order
to be prepared.

Speaker 4 (21:57):
Havn't said that.

Speaker 3 (21:59):
I think if I'm a coach, and if I'm coaching
this team, I would love to look down the bench
and see a solution there, and and Gio Reina is
certainly a solution. You know, if there's fifteen twenty minutes
left in a game, you know he can come in
and change the game. And that's something that I think
it's important for a twenty six man roster.

Speaker 1 (22:20):
Yeah, I totally agree it's gonna be. It would be
really really difficult to leave him off if he's healthy.
And again, neither that has been a very, very big gift.
He hasn't played more than six hundred and ten minutes
in a club season since twenty twenty twenty twenty one,
so he's really struggled with injuries. A bad decision to
go on loan to Nottingham Forest didn't quite get back
in adortmun But again, we all know how talented he

(22:42):
is and how good he can be, and like you said,
tap finding a solution on the bench not a bad
spot to be in. Again, I don't want to hark
on the negatives, but like the he almost got voted out,
like the squad almost voted him out of the World
Cup in twenty twenty two, that tent came from, hey,
you're not going to be a starter. So that he's

(23:05):
matured since then, and I hope that that he kind
of will whether or not he is or isn't a
starter as long as as Pochettino has that kind of
man management under his arm, and everything that we've seen
with Rica, Pochettino would suggest that he can. And once
again Giorana has matured since that workup, but it is
something to monitor. But first and foremost it is his

(23:26):
health and we do hope that he plays a ton
of minutes, as many minutes as he can. Another player
who I think really helped the case for the World
Cup set Burhalter. If for nothing else, his set piece
delivery is elite and that matters a lot in knockout tournaments.
But also he's just a good player. He can fit
a couple of different roles. He's somebody that you could

(23:47):
bring on if you're losing and you're chasing, because of
that Set beats livery he has ended his motor. And
if you're winning and you need to see out a result,
he's a dog. So I really thought Set bur Alter
proved well in a really really competitive midfield group.

Speaker 4 (24:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
I mean, if there if there's one thing about Burholters,
he's got the fight right to start with, and that's
the easy part for him, and that's nice to see it.
And on top of it, he's a good player. Uh
he's a you know, he's a coach's son, so you
know he understands the game.

Speaker 4 (24:14):
He reads the game well.

Speaker 3 (24:16):
I think the tough part about Burholter is that that
central midfield is so crowded. You know when you look
at you you have Adams, you have Tilman, you have McKinney.
You know, you have potentially even Cardozo coming back. You know,
you like, there's so many names.

Speaker 2 (24:30):
You know.

Speaker 3 (24:30):
I I don't want to count Musa out yet because
I think he's been played on on the on, you know,
on the outside, when really he's more of a central player.
And and the reason I don't count him out is
because we we were counting Geo out for not playing
and he came back and here he is now. If
we think he's on, he's on the team now. So

(24:51):
I don't count him out either. So but the point is,
you still have Rolled down, you still have Morris. There's
so many players, it's it's a very crowded midfield. And
can you justify, you know, starting a midfielder just because
he he has good certain up And I don't want
to say just because there's no question he's a great player,

(25:11):
but I think is that what tips the scale? Is
it that he can serve a good ball? And I'm
not sure that's gonna be enough. But having said that,
he had a great window, he couldn't have done better.

Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah, I would add too that with how competitive that
midfield group is, if Berholton doesn't play well this camp,
I think it's pretty easy to kind of write him
off and be like, Okay, we're gonna give more looks
to Morris and Testament and rolled on and again. Maybe
Moosa works his way back, McKenny, maybe he'll be back
in the next camp in March, and we'll see all
that all the belt, it would have been easy to say, Okay,
well we gave him a chance and he didn't really

(25:41):
do a ton against two really good teams, and again
I thought he was he was really solid. Last one
on the big winner side is Alex Freeman. I think
that I overlooked him for this, not because he wasn't awesome,
but because I kind of feel like he's already got
to see on the plane. I know that we just
spoke the entire show about nobody. Nobody, spot is guaranteed,

(26:03):
all this stuff. But Alex Freeman has been a shooting
star over the last year for this team for Orlando
City and scores twice against Uruguay, one of which he
put Ronald Rajo FC Barcelona center back put him on
skates and put the ball in the corner.

Speaker 2 (26:17):
You wouldn't know that was a right.

Speaker 4 (26:18):
Back, No.

Speaker 3 (26:19):
I thought it was Doku coming inside and he looked
just like him. And by the way, I know that
it was after a free kick, but I think it
was following a corner or some sort of set piece,
because otherwise, how do you end up with your center
back basically on the left wing dribbling inside onto his
right foot so, but I think that shows the freedom

(26:41):
right that Poschettino's given the players, because normally, after a
set piece, if you're a center back, you're like, okay,
I better run straight back right or at least stay
in the middle, stay in the box.

Speaker 4 (26:51):
So that was good to see.

Speaker 3 (26:53):
But look, there's no question I think before this camp
started Freeman was on the plane to go to the
World Cup.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
He didn't really need fit. I feel he didn't really.

Speaker 3 (27:03):
Need this these two games to get to go to
the World Cup. He needed to just do what he
was doing before, and he just took it to the
next level. I mean, the kid is what twenty twenty
one years old, He's got interest from the teams in Europe.
I think, if anything, Alex Freeman put himself in a
spot where Pochettino now has to think that is this

(27:25):
my starting eleven guy? Because you really have to think
about that.

Speaker 1 (27:29):
I would agree, And we'll hear more about Alex Freeman's
future in the inside the Notebook in our next segment
onto the guys who maybe didn't quite help themselves enough,
maybe hurt a little bit in terms of this again
wide open and competitive roster fighting for those spots in
the plane to the World Cup or maybe a bus.
Now everybody would have to have to take a plane.
We have a big country. So the first one that

(27:50):
I think Joe Scalley. I don't think he was necessarily
bad against Paraguay, but the goal ends up going over
his head. He's a really good fit for that right
center back, in the back three or the fluid free
to four. I just was hoping to see a little
bit more from him though, though I do hope that
he'll get another call in the in the build up
to the World Cup, but I don't While we're talking

(28:13):
about Freeman taking his chance pretty much every camp he's
been in, I can't say the same about Scali this month.

Speaker 3 (28:19):
Yeah, I would agree with that, and I, by the way,
I don't think anyone did poorly in this camp, you know,
I mean right, all the players played.

Speaker 2 (28:26):
It was hard. It was hard coming up the three here,
both hard.

Speaker 3 (28:29):
Both both games. Players played well, but we can certainly
say that some didn't help themselves. And and maybe Scali,
like you say, didn't take it to the next level,
didn't become one that's going to be fighting for a
starting eleven spot. Maybe, But I think in that game
against Paraguay, he did well. I mean there were quite
a few times in which he overlapped Sergenio Desk on

(28:51):
the right side and got all the way down the line.
So which shows again the freedom that Puschetino has given
his players and and at the same time the initiative
that that Scally takes when he has the.

Speaker 4 (29:03):
Ball, that he's not afraid to go forward.

Speaker 3 (29:05):
And I think, you know, as a coach, that's something
that you valued tremendously, in particular in important games when
when the plays you make matter. So I don't think
I don't think Scally hurt himself. I think, you know,
it was nice to see him back. I think we
had all heard about potentially some issues, some issues off

(29:25):
the field. Let's say that that sometimes as outsiders, let's
say we don't necessarily know all of them, and and
nor should we. But the fact is he's back in
the picture now, and I think he'll be fighting all
the way to the end.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
I agree.

Speaker 1 (29:40):
Another I think group of players that didn't help themselves
because they didn't really have the chance to is every
goalkeeper that is not named Matt Freeze. Matt Freeze has
now started each of the last twelve usmn T games.
We talk about how much rotation there is, how much,
how many opportunities are given to a lot of players,
how much Poachatino wants to see different compinations of players. Well,
once he clearly doesn't want to see combinations of players,

(30:02):
is that it is in in between.

Speaker 2 (30:03):
The net is in the net.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
Matt Freeze again starting twelve of those he started, uh,
I think thirteen in the last fourteen. The only game
he hasn't started since the Nations League was the four
nill loss of Switzerland. So the very worst game was
the only one that he happened to not be playing.
And he's been I think solid. And Matt Turner wasn't
even called in this window. Again, the other goalkeepers on
the roster that that included Jonathan Clint's been Roman Cell

(30:27):
and Donald Patrick Schulty. I just think that over those
three guys, Matt Freeze is just heading shoulders to start.

Speaker 3 (30:33):
Yeah, I think he's been showing that and I and
I think Pushattino is one that listens to his UH
to his goalkeeper coach as well. You know, Tony Jimenez,
the goalkeeper coach, was my former teammate in Spain and
a great goalkeeper by the way, with a lot of
attitude and goal. Yeah, I think I think at this time,

(30:55):
you know, it's clear that Puschettino is not going to
be making any change, is there. I think Matt Freeze
has done well enough to keep the position, and the
fact that no one is really pushing them hard makes
it a lot easier, right because if we look at
the goal against Uruguay, he looked a little bit shaky
when he came out, you know, and kind of left
you know, the defenders stranded there with the goal open.

Speaker 4 (31:17):
So I'm not sure.

Speaker 3 (31:18):
Again, you know, I'm not an expert on goalkeeping, so
sometimes that's a good thing. I'd you know, if I
were the coach of the team, I'd have to ask
the goalkeeper, coach, is what he did bad there?

Speaker 4 (31:28):
Or is it good? You know, it looked bad to me.
It looked bad to me as not an expert goalkeeper.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
But sometimes a goalkeeper coach will give you the answer that, well,
he had to come out in delay so that the
player had to take an extra touch so that we
could get everybody back, So, you know, so I'll give
him the benefit of the down on that one. But
there's no question that if there's one clear position on
this team right now, that's Freeze's position and goal.

Speaker 1 (31:51):
Last one in that really really competitive midfield group, maybe
Aiden Morris, maybe Brendan Ronson. Again, I don't think that
they play poorly, but didn't quite separate themselves the way
that Giorana s At, bur Halter and the others did
this window.

Speaker 2 (32:06):
What do you think?

Speaker 4 (32:07):
Yeah, yeah, I agree. I'm a big fan of Aiden Morris.

Speaker 3 (32:11):
You know, he's he's a great player, both two way player,
you know, playing in Middlesbrough, the way he plays weeke
in and week out. I mean, he's just a great player.
Would be it would really be a shame that he
doesn't make the team. But unfortunately, I think not his
own doing, because I think he played a good game yesterday.

(32:31):
I just think Burholter did better and potentially surpassed him. Right,
And so there's only so many spots you have, and
I'm sure Pochatino's making a list, and when you make
that list, you know, maybe you take five and maybe
you're fighting for that fifth spot and somebody else took it, right,
And so I think that's one that unfortunately this camp
didn't work out for Aiden Morris, and I think Aaronson

(32:53):
that's a really interesting one because I think he also
didn't play a bad game against Paraguay.

Speaker 4 (32:58):
I think, but again, you know, same thing.

Speaker 3 (33:01):
I would say about g O Raina, where you know,
I think Aaronson is not going to be a starter
at the World Cup, right as I think Geo is
likely not going to be. But again, when if I'm
the coach and I'm looking down the bench, we all
know what we get out of Aaronson, and he's a
maximum effort guy. I would always want.

Speaker 4 (33:20):
Him on my team.

Speaker 3 (33:21):
He's a player that I think every coach wants because
and in particular, if you're gonna high press, right, he
he high presses like he gives you everything, So you
always want him. But in the end, if you're looking
for a player to win a game with fifteen minutes left,
I think we have other options that are better at
this point. And unfortunately, you know when you look at

(33:43):
down the bench and you're seeing maybe Geo or you're
seeing Luna, or you're seeing guys that potentially can turn
a game upside down and probably want that. And so
because of that, I would say that this was not
a great camp for Aronson.

Speaker 1 (33:57):
So speaking of that, starting eleven, we're gonna do that
most weeks, if not a whole lot between now and
the opening game of the twenty twenty six World Cup.
If the World Cup started today, assuming most of these
players are fit and healthy, wod are starting elevens me,
I'll go first so that I don't embarrass myself and
I don't have to pretend like telling Tab that he's wrong.
It should be you telling me where I'm an idiot here.

(34:18):
So I'll go first, freesome goal and I have this
as the three four to two one. I think that
should be the formation that they play every game from
now and so when they get eliminated from the World Cup.
Miles Robinson, Chris Richards, tim Reem has the back three.
Tim Wayer right wing back winger Tyler Adams, Tannor Tasman
went back.

Speaker 2 (34:35):
And forth on who should be the partner.

Speaker 1 (34:37):
Adams and then Anthony Robinson is just still a slight
over Max Arsen, though I think Max Arson is a
better fit for that left wing back role because of
the way he can eliminate guys off the dribble, whereas
Anthony Robinson is really really good. His strength is more
of the overlapping runs and maybe that becomes predictable, but
for now, Anthony Robinson is there. And then the two
underneath the forward as Christian Pool is sick, and I

(34:58):
want Malik Tillman because I think that the two of
them have a good connection, and again they can do
a lot of They can both do things like the
number ten, but also a little bit like a winger,
a little bit like a second forward. I think they
compliment each other well. And then flow a baligan up top.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
Wow, I mean, I can't I can't argue much with
that one. But I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go a
little bit different, and I think we have a.

Speaker 2 (35:20):
Couple same same formation.

Speaker 3 (35:22):
Yeah, no, we have to go same formation, I think
because it looks like this is what fits his best.
I don't think, you know, if you're looking at our
team and you've seen what's happened over the last couple
of years, I don't think we can be confident to
play with two center backs only.

Speaker 4 (35:36):
I just don't.

Speaker 3 (35:37):
I just don't trust two together. I think with three
we do much better. And I would go with certainly
with freeze and goal because he's at this point, it
is his position to lose. I would go after this camp,
I would go with Freeman. I'm projecting Freeman to be
even better six months from now, and I think I'll
take Freeman as one of the three center backs, with

(35:59):
Richards in the middle, McKenzie.

Speaker 4 (36:00):
On the left side.

Speaker 3 (36:03):
On the wide let's say outside backs or overlapping backs,
I'll take dest on one side and Jedi Robinson on
the other side. I'm hoping that Jedi starts to get
back on the field more you know ed Fulham, and
that he's consistent by then we can't forget that Jedi,
I think to me has been our best player over

(36:24):
the last.

Speaker 4 (36:24):
Five or six years.

Speaker 3 (36:26):
Consistently, last five or six years, I would think he's
been our best player, and I think he gave us
a lot, and I'm hoping that.

Speaker 4 (36:32):
He can get back to that level.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
If he does, that's gonna be something else on that side,
especially knowing that he's got cover in the back the
center of the field. Here's where it will depend on
what Pushatino wants to do. If Pushatino is thinking that
you know mckinnys, maybe he plays McKinny as almost like
that second ten as he's done, you know, like maybe
top of a triangle kind of thing. I'm not sure,

(36:56):
but I'm gonna have to go with definitely Adams being one,
and then a tough decision on whether McKinney plays that
defensive role, which I think he certainly can do, or
you want somebody like I think Testament there because Testament
has better fee. Testament has better fee, so Testament I
think could do a good job. So one of those
two there and then the two behind the forward I'd

(37:17):
have to go also with Tillman and Polisic, but I
would think that, you know, depending on the opponent, because
I'd like to see Weya there instead of Tillman because
I think what Weya has a little bit more goal
in him and has a little bit more of the
running behind the defense, And so one of those two
would be there. Polistic would be the other one. Without question.

(37:39):
Balligan is the nine.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
Yeah, he scored I believe four straight starts.

Speaker 1 (37:44):
It was at least three, So it was another good
window for him, and I just think that he's currently
the best forward.

Speaker 2 (37:48):
Though, how'd you right?

Speaker 1 (37:49):
Wasn't great against the require didn't make an impact, I
should say he's somebody. He's doing so so well with
Coventry City. It feels like we've gotten answers or at
least possible answers to a lot of the questions that
were lingering in the summer. And things look pretty bleak
then not gonna lie. So that's a positive development. We're
gonna take another quick break here. The next up, Tab's
gonna tell us the story of his connection with Tanner

(38:11):
Testament and how he brought him into the national team.
Poll plus, we're gonna go inside and open what's time

(38:32):
to go inside the locker room where Tap tells a
story from his playing our coaching days and today he's
got a good story now he brought Tannered Testament into
the national team full Tap taking away.

Speaker 3 (38:41):
Wow, Okay, that puts a lot of pressure that I
have to be able to tell a good story. You know,
when you're when you're a national team coacher, constantly in
contact with all the clubs, you know, speaking with coaches,
speaking in particular, when it's youth national teams you're speaking with,
you know, their academy coaches are their second the reserve
team coaches in this case MLS, next pro coaches and

(39:04):
sometimes you're speaking with the first team coaches because the
players are now getting opportunities with the first team. So
I remember speaking to Dallas and I think it was
it might have been Oscar Pere had at the time.
It was a Dallas talking to me about this big
kid that they had and that they were given opportunities
with their with their second team, and he was doing
great with the second team and starting to give opportunities
with the first team because he felt like he.

Speaker 4 (39:26):
Had a lot of tools that were important.

Speaker 3 (39:28):
And so we called Tanner to the under twenty national
team and I remember we watched him over the first
couple of days, you know, Brian Bliss and I you know,
Mi de Mazi, we were we were all discussing obviously
all the players, but in particular Tanner kept standing out
and he ended up, you know, as as it happened,
he ended up having a great camp. We played him

(39:48):
at that eight role where he could get behind the
you know, behind the forwards a little bit. We changed
them to the number ten role because we felt like, man,
we've seen this guy in practice in any small sided
game we had have. Man, he can really hit a ball, right,
and said, so then now you're starting to add up
and you're like, Okay, well he's got good feet, he
defends hard. You know, he's got a good shot from

(40:10):
outside the box. You know, he actually holds the ball
really well with a man on his back. He's he's
a big kid, but he's got good skill. And and
so the campens, and at the end of the camp,
I remember sitting at the airport and I go over
and sit next to Tanner and I go to tannor
tenor you know, I have an issue that I haven't
had here really with anyone. I said, I don't really

(40:32):
know where to play you. I said, because you, I
think you can play every position. I think you can
do anything. And you know, this brings up, this brings
a good point that most players are sort of focused
in one position. And the reason I wanted to talk
a little bit about Tanner is because I still feel
like Tanner Tessaman can play pretty much any position, straight
up the middle. Obviously, now when you're talking about senior

(40:55):
national team, I think he couldn't take Balogund's spot, you know,
because but if you wanted to play with a target nine,
he likely could do it.

Speaker 4 (41:03):
He could do it.

Speaker 3 (41:04):
And if you want to play him as a ten,
he has a skill to be a ten and he
can finish. If you want to play him as a
defensive mid or an eight, he can do both. And
if potentially you wanted to use him as a center back,
he could do that as well. He's good in the air,
he's got good feet to play out of the back.
So I think that was that was a neat story
about You know, when you get so many kids, hundreds

(41:25):
of players over the years, that you remember stories about
certain ones.

Speaker 4 (41:29):
Tanner was certain ones.

Speaker 3 (41:31):
Certainly one that stood out because he's one of the
few players we had that could that could do everything.

Speaker 1 (41:38):
And listen, if you need a thirty five yard field
goal to win an ACC game, Tanner can do that too, right.
He famously had signed a scholarship to play soccer and
kick for Tablos Sweeney for the Clemson football team. Some
people thought that might have been a little bit of
pressure on that professional contract to go from Dallas.

Speaker 4 (41:56):
Butaba, isn't that isn't that isn't that his uncle or something?

Speaker 2 (42:00):
God?

Speaker 4 (42:00):
Yeah, godfather, Okay, I know it's not unfamiliar.

Speaker 1 (42:03):
Yeah, but obviously, like he was good enough to kick
and at least be in the mix at London? Was
that what were you ever in some of those conversations,
what do you put the football away? Like put our
football back? Not not not the grid on football? Was
any of that ever come up when he was in
camps with you?

Speaker 3 (42:20):
No, no, you You certainly don't want to discourage players
from doing whatever it is that they want to do.
What's important is what's important is their performance when they
come into camp.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
That's that's what matters you.

Speaker 3 (42:30):
You know, you judge what they do on the field
and how they interact with other players off the field.
I think when you have those two down, that's really
the only things you worry about really quickly.

Speaker 1 (42:42):
Our good friend uncle Tony Meola famously was with the
New York Jets a little bit as a kicker. Who
who's the better kicker, Tony or ten?

Speaker 4 (42:51):
Wow, that's a tough one.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
You know.

Speaker 4 (42:52):
It's hard to go against my buddy Tony Miola. You
know he's the best. You know a little story about Tony.

Speaker 3 (42:58):
You know, we used to train a giant stadium when
the first when the first when MLS started the first
year of MLS. I mean, Tony can can destroy a
ball By the way, when he kicks it, he used
to after practice pump balls into the upper deck, so
so that was that was that was a sight to see.

Speaker 4 (43:19):
He hes the pump balls into the upper deck.

Speaker 2 (43:22):
God, he's so mad.

Speaker 1 (43:23):
Ye oh man uh no, that was really good. I
like the insight on Tanta Testam because we we see
him obviously. I think defensive or at least holding midfield,
where he can plays like a deep line playmaker is
his probably best role. He's doing it really really well
for Leon, but it goes to show how all around,
how all action he can be. I remember when he
was breaking through with Dallas. I was speaking to somebody

(43:45):
there and I was just like, Hey, who in the
second team?

Speaker 2 (43:48):
It is the next guy.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
This was at the time where Ricardo Peppy was coming through, Brian,
Brian Reynolds, Paxon Pomicle, you insert. Dallas was a factory
at that point after Chris Richards after in Western McKinney,
and someone was like, this kid testing it's good, really good,
And I was like, oh, it's interesting.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
I'll keep an eye on him.

Speaker 1 (44:04):
Do you think that he'll that he's gonna translate to
the first team. The guy just kind of laughed and
was like, I think he can. I think he might,
and I was like, okay, cool, I'll watch that. It
was like fourteen hours later, it's like SC Dallas signs
Tanner Testament to a four year contract his first pro too.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
It's like, oh, like yeah, they're they're they're well into
this kid, right.

Speaker 4 (44:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (44:21):
He certainly is a special player, and I think the
fact that you know he's playing at Leon all the
time and at times, you know, running their midfield, I
think says a lot for who he is under pressure.

Speaker 1 (44:35):
That was inside the locker room with Tabramos. I'm looking
forward already to next week. I think I think he
lived up to the pressure of telling a good story
test And now now the pressure turns to me on
following that up with Inside the Notebook, where I tell
you kind of three.

Speaker 2 (44:51):
Three of the latest breaking news.

Speaker 1 (44:53):
Stories that that have to do with the US national
team and the player pool. This first one doesn't exactly
totally fit that mind, and this will be a one
off considering this is going to be historic change, but
Major League Soccer announced last week they are officially changing
the season calendar. They will switch to align with the
top European leagues. The league will start in July or

(45:14):
early August and it'll run until May with MLS Cup,
which is a change from February to December.

Speaker 2 (45:22):
Tab There's so many different ways to go with this.

Speaker 1 (45:27):
It could be about on the field, obviously. It could
be about the fans and the difficulties in figuring out
games in February and March and November in Minnesota, Toronto,
New England, some of those northern markets. It can be
a really important point in the transfer window, which should
help the strength of MLS teams signing players, but also

(45:48):
making it a little bit easier for them to move
players abroad in the summer when these offers come.

Speaker 2 (45:54):
Maybe that's most.

Speaker 1 (45:55):
Pertinent to our discussion here with the national team, that
there are guys that teams have had to reject offers
for because the offers come in too late, like this summer.
The MLS summer transfer window closed on August twenty first,
the European windows closed on September first. If a bid
comes in for a player on August twenty second, an
MLS team cannot replace that player, making it much less

(46:17):
likely that they would sell so toab What are your
I guess overall thoughts on the huge schedule change as
a former MLS.

Speaker 3 (46:23):
Coach, Yeah, I think it's not certainly not easy, not
easy because of the weather and as you mentioned, you
know some of the clubs from you know, up North
and from Canada that they will certainly have a tough
time with this on figuring out how that's going to work.
But I'm sure they have figured it out. That's why
they made the change, right. I think in general the

(46:45):
change is very positive. I think being on schedule with
the rest of the world makes the league a little
bit more let's say, legit, right, not that it wasn't
legit before, but I think it makes it more legit.
Being on the same calendar makes makes a big difference
for player transfer as you mentioned, and I think above
and beyond it, it's just the competition in general will

(47:06):
benefit from it.

Speaker 1 (47:08):
I totally agree. I speak to sporting directors around the league.
I think to a person, everybody was pretty much overwhelmingly positive.
The only pushback from one person was while they said
this was a very good thing in terms of the
transfer window, it was you know, well, now we're out
of sync with Argentina and Brazil, which are two markets
that teams acquire players from, and the Brazilian leagues have

(47:30):
such such spending power now and have been looking at
MLS a little bit more. We could run into similar
problems there, but I don't think. I think that pales
in comparison to the positives. And same thing for I
feel for the fans, I really do, particularly if you're
in some of those northern markets. But I also felt
for the fans in Houston and Dallas and Orlando and

(47:51):
Miami playing in July, playing in June, playing in that humanity,
there will be games that are moved to snow and
winter weather, same way that Miami and Orlando have about
five or.

Speaker 2 (48:02):
Six delays every summer for their games because of the weather.

Speaker 4 (48:05):
So well, I mean, I I wore a suit in
Houston every day. You're a mad so that was that
was certainly not easy.

Speaker 3 (48:13):
So I you know, I uh, I congratulate UH, you
know Ben Olsen in Houston now because he he's benefiting
most UH from from this UH schedule change. But you know,
having said that, yeah, overall is very positive. I have
heard about some teams potentially covering their stadiums UH for
the winter, so that that you know, that could potentially

(48:35):
be something important. Again, very positive move for MLS and
uh nice to see.

Speaker 2 (48:43):
I agree.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
Let's move on to number two talking about summer trends,
so talking about potential to US national team players.

Speaker 2 (48:49):
On the move.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
Alex Freeman, the star of this camp. Last summer, Villa
Royal had a couple of bids rejected, Villa Real or
the overwhelming favor to sign him. I would say Alex
Freeman has one year left on his contract and there
is a strong probability if he gets to the end
of his contract, he's just going to sign with Villa

(49:11):
Raal for free, unless that another team comes in with
a late offer. There were a lot of teams interested
in him and still are, but Villa Rao are firmly
in the driver's seat. What I think is more likely
is that there is a deal agreed this winter between
Orlando City and Villa REAEO. Sources tell me that that
is a real possibility. What I'm also told is Freeman
obviously wants to secure his future. He believes that Villa

(49:33):
Real is the right move, is the strong move is
he believes in the project. He also wants he doesn't
want to leave Orlando for free like.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
He loves that club. He is a.

Speaker 1 (49:44):
Product of their academy. He appreciates Oscar Prea and the
front office and bringing him along, giving him chances, and
he's taken that chance. He would he hopes that there's
a way that there could be a deal agreed and possibly,
if not, probably alone back where he continues to play
for Orlando for the next six or twelve months before
going to Villa Real. So Alex Freeman to Villa Real,
that is the team to watch for him. He will

(50:06):
make this move at some point over the next twelve months.
It just depends on when.

Speaker 4 (50:10):
Well.

Speaker 3 (50:11):
First of all, Via Reel is a great team. You
know they they they play well, they have good players,
They're a foot forward team. They you know, they press high,
they you know, they keep the ball. I think it
would be this would be a great fit for him
on the field. Having said that, if you're Via Real
and you just watch the game against Uruguay, I'm sure

(50:34):
you're on the phone today saying how do we make
this happen right away.

Speaker 4 (50:37):
Before this gets out of hand?

Speaker 1 (50:39):
Right?

Speaker 4 (50:40):
So I agree with you.

Speaker 3 (50:42):
I think I think this deal will get done in
the winter, and whether that means that he goes in
the winter or not, that's to be determined. I don't
think it would be a good idea for Alex Freeman.

Speaker 4 (50:52):
To go in the middle of the season.

Speaker 3 (50:53):
Normally is very difficult for a player to join a
team in the middle and be successful unless you're let's
say center forward or position where goals is the only
thing that matters. Anyway, I think that the likely scenario
would be that he gets signed to v A Real
this winter and stays down loan here till the for
the next MLS season and goes after that.

Speaker 1 (51:16):
Yeah, I think if that would make sense for everybody.
But it's about a deal getting done and we'll see.
There are a lot of level headed and smart people
within Orlando. I'm assuming the same at Villa Rail, though
I can't speak to that personally, but it's certainly an
exciting one and a very very good player getting potentially
a very good move. Number three little dual national side
of things. Brian Guzierra Chicago Fire, attacking midfield. He got

(51:37):
his Mexican passport. The Mexican Federation has been in contact
with him. It looks more and more likely that he's
going to file a one time switch with Mexico, I
would need to brush up on the rules, and maybe
he would go for a camp first before making that decision,
because when you make that one time switch, you can't
come back. He hasn't gotten many opportunities with the US
national team, which is totally fine and fair, and he's

(52:01):
exploring his keeping his options open for Mexico. And with
that being said, I'm told pretty much every big club
in League A Mechi's, particularly now that he's got his
passport and will count as a domestic player if there.

Speaker 2 (52:11):
Was to be a move.

Speaker 1 (52:13):
Monterrey and Cluve America are the two teams that I've
heard that are really pushing for Brian gutierres and bids
are expected to come sooner rather than later. Chicago Fire
rejected a bid I believe twelve months ago or last
winter from Chivas for Brian Guzierra, So the League A
Mechi's interest is not new. The passport is new, and
I think that changes things.

Speaker 3 (52:33):
Yeah, you know, first of all, Gutieri is a great player.

Speaker 4 (52:37):
He's so fun to watch. I really like him.

Speaker 3 (52:41):
But I think he's likely looking at the same crowded
midfield that we're looking at with the national team and
seeing where am I going to have the best opportunities,
And I think unfortunately sometimes you know, with the national teams,
as much as you want to keep everyone sort of
under your banner, you know, players just at the end

(53:02):
of the day are going to do what's best for
them and for their families. And I think likely in
this case, I'm not going to disagree with with Brian
Gatti's that going to Mexico is likely a good move.
I think he's gonna have more of an opportunity to
play on that Mexico team that he would on this
US team, at least the current US team. So I

(53:24):
think good move for him, unfortunate move for for US,
but I think it comes at a time where our
midfield is overcrowded and his chances would be very limited.

Speaker 1 (53:34):
And on the personal side, for the club side, those
are the Gemmicki's Giants, those are really really big clubs
for for I don't know if some fans don't don't
understand how big that is, like going there, or or
maybe you know, maybe somebody wants to see him go
to Europe. There's a lot more money in Mexico, and
I got to tell you, the pressure, the pressure is there.
Those are really big clubs, and I hope that people
understand and can respect that. So with that tab, it's

(53:57):
our first episode. I think it went pretty well. I
think we should this again next week.

Speaker 4 (54:00):
We made it. Maybe we should do it, we should
do another one, right, I.

Speaker 1 (54:05):
Agree, and I hope, I hope that are that are
wonderful pauses here at iHeart agree. So thank you so
much for listening to the first episode of Inside American Soccer.
Please rate, review, and subscribe. New shows drop every Wednesday.

Speaker 2 (54:17):
We'll see you next week.