June 9, 2026 • 46 mins
Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos give the full scouting report on Paraguay ahead of the USMNT's Group D opener on Friday night in Los Angeles. They break down Paraguay's strengths, the key players the U.S. must contain, and where Mauricio Pochettino's team can find success against one of the tournament's toughest defensive units.
Tab also takes listeners inside the preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, sharing stories from the coaching staff's game-planning process ahead of the United States' opening match against Ghana and explaining why even the most detailed plans can be thrown into chaos once the whistle blows.
Plus, the guys wrap up the show with Tab's DraftKings predictions for all four opening matches of the tournament, including Mexico vs. South Africa, South Korea vs. Czechia, Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina and, of course, United States vs. Paraguay.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I think he's got to play. You know, you gotta
play the game. I mean, go go talk to the
coach and say, coach, listen, I'm I'm ninety percent. The
rest is gonna come from my heart. I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Everybody welcomes inside American Soccer. I am usmn T insider
Tom Boger. I am joined by one of the greatest
players in US soccer history, veteran three World Cups, my
good friend tab Ramos tab The World Cup is here.
Injuries are starting to happen for teams. That is heartbreaking
to see. But the games are about to be here.
We are days away from Mexico kicking off the World
(00:33):
Cup and then twenty four hours after that, the United
States start their journey at the World Cup.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
How are we feeling excited? You have to say, because
you know it starts in a couple of days. I
actually head off to I know you're in La now
already set up right. I head out to Philadelphia actually tomorrow,
and that'll be my my home base for the World Cup,
and then I'll travel to Toronto into the second round.
But very excited about it. But to be honest, has
(01:00):
nothing to do with coaching or anything else or having
played in it. It just I'd love being at the
stadium for these games. And there's there's just like such
a special feeling about being in the in the stadium
and watching the different countries play with their best players
and given everything they have, considering their whole countries are
following this. You know, obviously World Cup is you know,
(01:22):
it's the biggest deal, the biggest sporting event, and and
it's just great to be part of it. Really.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
That makes me happy to hear you saying that still
in twenty twenty six, as somebody who's been doing this
for player, as a coach, You've seen it from every
angle and for you to still have that like childish joy,
and that makes me happy because this is the first
World Cup I'm covering. I went and picked up my
credential yesterday and we talk. We've been doing this show,
(01:50):
I've been covering this team. It all feels like formulaic daily.
You're too close to it to like step back and
see a big pictures. So people have asked me about
like the World Cup, and again it feel stupid that
I'm telling this kind of story to tab freaking Ramos
about going to the World Cup and the feelings therein
while I pick up a World Cup like a press pass,
vastly vastly different, a much much smaller angle, but for me,
(02:12):
like it felt pretty cool and I hadn't been really
like thin people. I was like, yeah, no, it's just
like doing another thing over another game. I picked up
my credential yesterday, like at Sofi Stadium, and I was
like whoa, Like this is real and it was like
the first time I started to feel like any like
strong feelings and like you think about your career and stuff.
And I was like, all right, like let me lean
into this. It hasn't hit me yet really at all.
(02:32):
I try to walk toward to the stadium to like
just have a moment by myself. I get screamed at
my two security cards. We're close, work close. It's like, okay,
I'm gonna leave, go back to the parking lot and
leave now. The nice moment is over. Immediately I walked away,
So I I like encourage my feelings for about fifteen
seconds before they went away to.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, they you know, they run a tight ship, that's
for sure. You know you normally you know just just
when you're coming in you you can feel it, right
because even stadiums, let's say, like like here in New
Jersey what they call New York New Jersey Stadium. Now
for this, you know, you won't be able to get
near the field, if you remember in Qatar was kind
(03:12):
of the same. Like you you know, there's a there's
like a two hundred yard one hundred and fifty yard buffer,
and you as a fan, hand your ticket in and
then you're like free to go anywhere, but you're within
like within like an air. Everything is so organized, everything
is so contained, but the important part is the fun
of it because I you know, like just like you're saying,
(03:34):
you know, I obviously played in the U twenty World
Cup when I was when I was much younger, uh,
and then I played in ninety ninety four, ninety eight,
and I didn't go to two six or ten. But
then I was assistant coach to Jurgen in fourteen, I
worked for Telemundo eighteen, I worked for Telemundo in twenty two,
and now I'm working for HBS and in twenty six.
(03:55):
So I've been to pretty much all of them for
the last you know, and it's it's such a great
feel but I have to tell you, and I'm glad
you mentioned that. Although I've been to all of them
in so many different let's say, functions or jobs, I
still feel like a child when I walk on the field.
I love it. No, there's really no other place I'd
(04:15):
rather be.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
You and me both my friend.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
So we are building up to the opening World Cup
game for the United States on Friday. The US host
Paraguay at SOFI Stadium in Los Angeles six pm Pacific time,
nine pm Eastern. This is a rematch of a fall
friendly between these two countries that happened in Philly. The
United States won two to one that day. The lineup
this week and the lineup from that game are going
to be vastly vesti different. There's no Christian Polisic. Tanner
(04:41):
Testsman was among the starters in that game, so was
Brendan Ronson. Balgan and Giororina scored in a two to
one win. But that game was a bit of a
turning point for this group. Not in their tactics because
that changed in the previous window, which set this team
up on a much much better spot, but the physicality
and like emotion we hadn't really seen it from this
(05:01):
group we didn't often under Greg Burholter, and we still
hadn't really yet under Musia Pochettino. This game was very
physical and it ended with a bit of a fight,
like Alex Freeman and one of the Paraguay defenders were
fighting over a throw in and all of a sudden,
before you knew it, both benches, all twenty two players
are there. Miles Robinson came in to defend this guy
(05:23):
got put in a headlock. Immediately, Riso Pochettino tried to
run over to break up the fight. He slipped and
fell and the opposing coaches his friend helped him up
or like it could have been a bad situation. Pochettino
called everything very, very dangerous, but all of the players
were like you could see something turning them. They're like, yeah,
like this is We're here for our guys, Like we
(05:43):
were always gonna fight, We're never gonna back down. And
that was something that we hadn't really seen from this team.
And it's gonna be pretty tense and physical out to
World Cup no matter what. But I think particularly with
these two teams, that's what you're gonna see. Paraguay they
won four nothing over Nicaragua and lost to on the
Morocco this window in their pre World Cup friendly, and
in March they beat Greece one nothing. So tap overall,
(06:04):
big picture playing this Paraguay team, what should we expect?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yeah, So that's I think that's a good way to
frame it, because I think we have to start with
the head coach. I think you know, they broke Gustavo
Alpharo in twenty twenty four. You know, Paraguay had been obviously,
they haven't been to a World Cup since twenty ten,
where they had let's say their Golden Generation, you know
that went to the quarterfinals, and they've they had been
(06:31):
trying to change the way they played over the last
few years. They had been trying to become a possession team,
you know, a team that held the ball on the
opposing side of the field, and it wasn't it really
wasn't working. And they hired gustav Alfaro and the first
thing he said in his press conference was pretty much,
we're going back to the Paraguay and DNA, which is
(06:51):
we're going to defend, we're going to give away nothing,
and we're going to counter as quickly as we can.
And basically that's the setup, that's where they've been. You know,
Gustavo Alfaro has experience. You know, he coached the last
World Cup with Ecuador and in which he had the
opportunity to also play the host in the in the
(07:11):
first match, so he's familiar with what's going to be
happening with this and I think he is likely the
key to this team at the moment because he really
If there's one thing we can say about this team
before we go into tactics and you know and who
the lineup is going to be, is this is a
very well oiled machine. They're organized and they have great
(07:32):
chemistry amongst the players.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
And so as interesting that that coach has the World
Cup experience, well maybe these players don't. At the last
World Cup Ecuador were I think they were a very
fun team and I don't know if they would have
better quality than this Paraguay, but maybe it's comparable. Maybe
they don't have the same exact top end players. They won,
draw and lost. They drew the Netherlands, they beat Guitar,
(07:56):
but they lost the Senegal and four points in twenty
twenty two meant you were eliminated four points. This year,
you were I think the math somebody ran the simulations,
you're like ninety nine point eight percent guaranteed to get
through with four points. So I think it's worth worth
mentioning that this is a team, or this is a
coach that's at least taking a team of maybe underdogs
in a couple of those games and gotten results that
(08:18):
would have been enough to get them out of the group.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
And tap to.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Your point, maybe they're going to have similar strengths and
weaknesses to that Ecuador team. What what are the strengths
and weaknesses of this team?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
I think you you hit the nail on the head there.
You know, Ecuador had better players. It was a little
bit different than this team, however.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yeah, they were also a little bit younger, right other
than interviews.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Well yeah they were. I think they were the youngest
team at the last. They might have been the youngest
team at the last. US was I think US was
first or second? Yeah, I think you're right. So, but yeah,
a little bit of a different team, you know. They
they had more exciting players. Plus, you know, like I
always say about the World Cup, it's always about teams
represent their culture and who they are, and Ecuador's culture
(09:03):
is not that it's not the holdback and defend and
then just counter every once in a while. They actually
want to play football. They want to play, you know, Paraguay,
and I'm not saying they don't like to play, of course,
but they've already been known for the last forty to
fifty sixty years in South America as being a hard
team to play against. And this is for teams like
Uruguay and Argentina and Brazil. They know when they go
(09:25):
to Paraguay they're in for a fight. It's not so
much about football, it's about a fight, and it's been
that way and that's their culture and that's how they
do it, and that's okay too, and I think that's
that's what we will find.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
What is this lineup going to look like? A quick update?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Their star player Julio and Ciso, picked up an injury
in the game against Nicaraguay, came off the field in tears.
He did travel with the team and surprisingly he trained
individually on Sunday with the group. By the time this
comes out, maybe there'll be more updates, but the initial
update was he's out for the first two games of
the group stage. I don't know if him being able
(10:04):
to train individually is a positive sign that has anything
to do with his availability.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I'd still pretty strongly.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Doubt to have that he's available for the US, but
maybe he could make a cameo in their second game.
All that aside, what will this team look like in
terms of a lineup and their key players?
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Just to address that for a second, I did read
that about him being training on his own, and we
don't know what that means. Really, that could have meant
he was walking around the field, because you know, it
sounds from all the reports that I've seen and the
people I've spoken with that it's a muscular injury, right,
And it's hard to you know, it's hard to cut
too much time into one of those. You know, when
(10:43):
they happen, it's usually a couple of weeks and it's
hard to get away from that. But you never know,
you never know how you know, you have to remember,
you know, these games are so important that you don't
know how many games coaches play, right, because him saying
that he's training on his own made us be the
lead up to this game, so that the US is saying, hey,
(11:03):
maybe he's playing. You know, we have to be prepared
for that, just so you know, you never know how that.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Was my first thought.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
But I was like, it'd be it'd be like, I
don't know if I can in my position say that,
or like definitely can't say with definitive it, but like
in hindsight when he's not on the bench, or if
like you see him walking in warm ups but his
jersey's on and it's like, obviously he's not playing.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
In hindsight, you could say, obviously this is this is
my games.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
But I was I was a little bit cowardly to
say that that was probably what it is.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
But listen, if I'm the coach on the other side,
I'm thinking, I'm thinking and Cecil got hurt, But did
he really get hurt? Was he really crying? Was he like?
I'm not If I'm the coach on the other side,
I'm not believing anything right now, I'm like, is this
pre planned for him to come out? You know, obviously
I don't wish you know, Ceesar's a twenty three year
old kid. I wish him the best. I hope he's okay, obviously,
(11:52):
But if I'm the coach on the other side, if
I'm Patino, I'm thinking, did he really get hurt.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Let me let's just let's just have bad up here
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Of course, always always, so let's go. I'll go with
the lineup to start. Gatito Fernandez will be their keeper.
He's been doing great. They trust him, you know, not
much to say about him. He has a lot of
experience and I think he's he's the right guy. He's
been playing their important games. On the right, it'll be
Cassris and Dynamo Moscow. He can get forward a little
(12:21):
bit and can be dangerous, but main position is really
to defend. Gomez will be in the middle from Palmaris.
He has experienced thirty years old. Al Dirette will probably
be next to him, although Balbuena could take in to
get either one of those positions. I think not important
for what we're talking about because they're solid defensively, regardless
of who plays. Junior or A. Lonzo will be on
(12:43):
the left side. He's a thirty three year old. Later on,
when we go into strengths and weaknesses, I think that's
an area that US could probably exploit a little bit.
Although Maidana, twenty year old that plays for Tayeez Gorlova
in Argentina, is a pretty good option for them if
they side to go younger, I don't think they will.
Cuba's we all know Kuba's obviously from Vancouver, will be
(13:05):
in the center of midfield. He's that quiet leader that
you almost don't notice. But if you take them off
of a team, the team completely changes because I think
the same would happen in Vancouver if he wasn't there, right,
Bokadilla and Diego Gomez will be supporting that both kind
of a little bit of aids going back and forth. Obviously,
(13:26):
we know Diego Gomez is at this point their star,
right He's the one that can make potentially make a
difference in this game. And Siso being out I think
throws this game a little bit into a little different
type of lineup for them because they're more of a
four to four to two within Siso as we mentioned,
because he floats in between lines. I think they're likely
(13:46):
used Ramone Sos on the right side, so they're likely
going to be a four or five one with al
Moron on the other side. So it'll be Rubens Sos
on one side, al Moron on the opposite side, and
then Zanabria, who plays for Kembernese. He's been around for
a while. He's a Lamashia product, you know, for a while.
I think he has the most experience and likely the
one that's gonna play. Although people are talking about alex
(14:08):
are say potentially playing, I just don't think that will happen.
So that's pretty much the gist of their lineup before
five to one.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, and then while the biggest change will be no
in Ciso because of how individualistic he is, and they
like he's earned the right in this team to have
more freedom, and so, like you said, tab It, it's
more of a flound rule. Maybe this is gonna be
a little bit more structured in the attack without in Ciso,
because I think we both really respect Miguel Maroon. I
don't think micgl Maroon's at the stage of his career
where you say, hey, just go flow around and win
(14:37):
the game. Think he's somebody more that will be an
important piece for them, particularly in transition, but it won't
be the same type of role as in Ciso. As
you listed that lineup, I was looking back against the
friendly against US. Six of the eleven that you have
in your eleven is who they started with. So it's
gonna be a vastly, vastly changed team, or maybe not vastly,
but in Siso started in October and that that'll be
(15:01):
a key. A couple people on the back line going
into that game. I remember I was talking to somebody
from Paraguay and it was like, why is he starting
this goalkeeper in this center forward? And Arsite was the
center forward. But that was like part of their whole debate,
Like a lot of their team was settled. Diego Gomez
avoided an injury scare at the end of the Premier
League season with the Brighton. I think he's going to
be very good. But all that is to say I
(15:23):
think you can take away large strokes from that friendly game.
But with these two teams, there was so many different
pieces on the field. There was no polistic for the US.
Testsamon started, Joe Scalley started, they got out Arena Arenson.
I don't think that these players will be starting for
the US in this game, but they did get a
(15:44):
taste of what it would be like against Paraguay. And again,
there are no friendly games, particularly between with a team
like Paraguay, who is combative and proud and really competitive.
It'll be another level here at the World Cup in
the first game. So with that laid out, what do
what does the US need to do to be successful
(16:06):
to break them down? Is this more about Paraguay has
to adapt to the US or the US has these
three keys that that they can target and use to
their advantage in this game.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Well, I think inevitably. I think what's going to have
to happen here is we have to be very patient
and organized as we attack. You know, Paraguay is going
to give us the ball. You know, they are very
good defensively. They want to be in that low block.
The key for us is to not panic, not to
not to throw too many too many numbers forward early.
(16:43):
But I do think we can attack their wings. You know.
I wish in a way we could fit potentially way
into this game because he could break the game open
on one side if he were to play next to
let's say, in front of Sergenio desk, you know, instead
of Tillman. I don't think that's going to happen obviously,
but I think at some point that will be useful
because you know, this team, not only are they good
(17:06):
in that in the low block, they're they're good on
crosses too, and that's something that I think is one
of our strengths, you know, where we I feel like
with the team we have, we can win games at
the end by putting balls in the box because I
think we have guys that can that can really get
into the box and get us goals. But I think
this Paraguay team is very good and they're comfortable sitting
(17:27):
in the box, so we'll have difficulty with that. So
if I were to say if we could, if we
could pull Paraguay out a little bit, you know, I
know that we want to high press, because that's what
we do. However, I think if we high press, we're
just going to force them to kick the ball to us.
That's the kind of game I'm seeing. I think Paraguay
will be fine with kicking the ball to us and
waiting for us to make a mistake to attack as
(17:48):
quickly as possible.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I would agree there, And I think Tyler Adams is
probably going to say this in every kit before every
game and on this show at the World Cup.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I think Taler is going to be so.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Deeply important for this team because Paraguay's greatest threat, I
think will be in transition and attacking space that the
US may or may not leave when they're committing numbers forward,
When Paraguay are sitting back and sitting back on purpose
and comfortable defending deep, it'll be Tyler Adams with his
ability to cover ground and defend in transition, which are
(18:21):
his two strengths.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Those are his world class qualities.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
And if he's there to put out fires before Paraguay
can even start a transition moment, the pressure is gonna
build and the presure is going to be too much.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I think that Pulisic is no stranger to playing.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Against one a low block because in CONCAKEF that is
almost always what the United States face, and in CONCACAFF,
he is no stranger to facing a team that's just
going to try to kick the shit out of you.
I think that's what Paraguay is going to do. And
I don't say it that they're dirty. I just they're
a physical team. And part of defending deep is you're
going to have to earn every yard you get. If
(18:56):
you beat one player, guess what another one's gonna be
there and he's gonna chip you to So trying to
find moments of fluidity in space, the earlier the better,
because the longer this game goes on, it's tied that
favors the defensive team, that favors the underdog. So as
long as the United States are building constant pressure, and
that's why I go back to Tyler Adams that if
he's putting out fires before maybe they even start, then
(19:19):
Paraguay will won't even have moments to get up the field,
won't have moments to take a break defensively, and you
cannot defend for ninety minutes, right like, there has to
be moments of reprief there has to be moments of
getting forward. And if Tyler Adams can quell that as
best as he can, then I think the United States
will be set up very well. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
And when I mentioned having patients, I don't mean the
type of patients that we're watching five yard passes from
one place to the other. I mean the type of patients.
You know, if you think about what happens with low
block teams, low block teams get organized very quickly, especially
in the middle when the ball goes to one side,
they all channel very quickly and very organized one way.
(19:57):
So you know, by patients, I mean can we play
the go back and switch to the other side to
find someone on the line, to find Robinson on one
line right as he goes for Anthony Robinson as he attacks,
if the space is not there, he plays it back.
We find the opposite side, and now you find Sir
Genio desk. And now you're forcing because now you're forcing
al Maron to defend on one side and so said
(20:19):
to defend on the other side. So now you're playing
against players who are not defenders. And I think that's
how you can get in the box. So the patience
does not mean play slow. It likely means not play
so many short passes open the field a little bit
more from side to side and make them chase side
to side until you find an opening.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yes, patient, but not slow the pace of the passes
and the pace of decision making that and tad when
you do get one of those big switches, that you
don't put your foot on the ball and let them
reset and get reorganized, which I think sometimes again I
think more so in the Burhalter era. That was one
of my big critiques of the team that even when
they seem to get a numbers advantage, it was, hey,
(20:58):
let's slow it down. Let's go back to doo oor
patterns and our formulas. Like I think it's very important
that when you make even when you get those switches,
that you don't let them off the look like if
there's a.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Moment to push, you push.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
And and with that, I am curious if Baligan or
Peppy's gonna start.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
I'm assuming it's going to be Baligain.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
But and the way that he kind of occupied some
of the German German center backs was important. But Ricardo
Peppi is really good at occupying defenders and and helping
space with his for his team, it gets a little
bit better in hold up play and and and combinations,
whereas Baligan is extraordinarily dangerous when he has space and
(21:36):
uh time to run and ability to get into the channels.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
I don't know how many channels that there's going to
be against paragwise my hole.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Yeah, you know, And that that's the difference, And that's
what Puschetino has to think about, right because when we
watch Peppi, Plague and Senegal. When Pepe stepped into midfield,
the the the the center backs followed. Paraguay doesn't follow
that much. They'll let you go. They just want to
stay in defence. So if if Peppy gets into midfield,
it's like that they're going to follow him three four
(22:02):
yards and then let them go and he can go receive,
but they're gonna stay compact. So this is this is
a little bit different than playing against Senegal, I feel, uh.
And so maybe Baligan is the is a bet, is
a little bit of a better nine to have at
the very least in this in this particular game because
of it.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
And so would you do the same attacking combinations as
the game against Ceremony, So that'd be Balgain, Pools, Tillman
and then McKinney and the wing back.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
I would to start the game, I would start the same.
I think we have to see what they give us first,
and don't forget that. You know, as much as you prepare,
this game can change in one minute as it starts.
So I think you you first want to start, you know,
without you know, sort of throwing the house at them, right,
you start with your principles. You're gonna press high, which
is what we think we're doing. Right, We're gonna press hig.
(22:49):
We're going to force them to kick the ball back
to us. When the bulls does how quickly. Can we
make them chase from side to side to make sure
we keep all their attackers occupied defending right, because they're
are only chance of winning this game is going to
be an accounter. But if if when they recover the ball,
al Moron is all the way back and Sosa is
all the way back, they really don't have people to
(23:10):
attack with, and so I think that's the safest Actually,
the safest way to defend is by forcing their the
forcing their you know, their attackers. They are dangerous guys
to be occupied. And so I think that will be
part of this game, and I'm sure something that Pochettino
is thinking about. But it's certainly going to be a
little bit of a chess match unless something unusual happens,
(23:30):
which in World Cup games can happen. Right for a
couple of minutes, you give up a goal or or
you score a goal and now things change.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yeah, at the risk of undercutting everything we just said,
that is the beauty of World Cup game, That is
the beauty of all these big tournaments is that.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
You can prepare, prepare, prepare.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
And then we're going to talk about twenty fourteen against Ghana,
and then Clint Dempsey scores in the second minute.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Then well, plans changed in a very good way for
that one.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
So with coper a quick break, we're going to talk
about twenty fourteen. Tab was on the coaching staff of
that World Cup as they prepared for Ghana in Brazil.
So please rate, review and subscribe to Inside American Soccer
with Tom Bogeren and Tab.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Ramos wherever you get to play.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Welcome back to Inside American Soccer, tund to go inside
the locker room with Tab.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Here and Tab.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
We are days away from the World Cup starting for
the United States, and we go back a dozen years
and you were an assistant on your clansman staff at
the twenty fourteen World Cup, helping prepare the United States
for Ghana.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
So take us inside what that was like.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Well, you know, I'll take us all the way back
to sort of how it starts, right the planning, because
obviously the World Cup. You know, it takes a lot
of planning to go to World Cup because the games
are so important. You know, in the end, in the
first five minutes of a game, you know you can
your whole destiny can change, and your whole future can change.
So you have to be very well prepared as at
(24:55):
least as much as you can. So really the planning,
let's say we'll go back to Ghana. But I think
as I speak about Ghana, we're relating this to Paraguay,
who's our first game. Right, So normally, normally as the
staff you already have before the draw, this is before
the draw six months ago. Let's say you already start
to gather your scouting staff that will be with the
(25:18):
different teams, right, and then you'll add someone who's a
little bit more of an expert on that team. Right,
So we drew, We drew Ghana. At that time, we
knew who are sort of our scouts were going to be.
And as soon as the draw happened, now you gotta
you gotta start thinking about Okay. Now, now you have to,
first of all, dig into your library of games that
(25:40):
Ghana has played to qualify, right, So that's your first
that's your first shot at scouting is seeing the video
of everything they've done so far to get there.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Right.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Then you move into Okay, now we have to follow them.
Let's see what their games upcoming are and who we're getting,
and our scouts will go there wherever it is you
want to You want to be able to watch the
team's live. It's not like you're just watching the video
at home. So if Ghana is playing, you know in Australia,
you got to go to Australia and you got to
actually watch the game, not just the video. So you
(26:10):
start following it. As part of following them, you start
following what the players are saying, You start following what
the coach is saying. You start, you know, coaches and
coaches sometimes and I learned this from Bora back in
nineteen ninety four. You know, you know, coaches sometimes give
away what they do. They like talking about what they're doing,
and sometimes it's this is no one's fault. We all
(26:32):
do it, and I did it as a coach sometimes
because you don't want to sound like you don't know
what you're doing. You're giving everything you're doing so people know, oh, well,
this guy knows what he's doing. But then at the
same time you're giving away, right what it is that's
happened in the field, So you do follow that. So
you spend the six months following what the players say,
trying to figure out if there's chemistry within the team,
(26:52):
trying to figure out if the coach has chemistry with
the players, which player likes, what player like? All these
are all the this is a part of the planning,
right And then so then you get to the point
where you start to figure out, Okay, this is how
they play, this is their DNA, this is what they
do with these players. If they're playing under a certain score,
then you switch to these other players. That's what the
(27:14):
coach normally does. And then you figure out, like whatever
other problems they have. I remember that with Ghana in particular,
they had even going into the World Cup, they had
like money problems. They weren't getting paid, like you know,
at times following Ghana, we didn't know if they were
going to practice or not because they weren't going to
get their money. They wanted their money in cash and
the federation said no, we'll pay it to you later. Right,
(27:37):
So like there's all there's all of these things going on.
But my point being that this is not just it's
not like you just pull out a couple of videos
and and you and you just put that together for
the players and you show it. You you know, you
you're sending clips to players where like you know, if
Ghana has been using three different right wingers. You sent
to your left back and I think in our case
(27:57):
at the time it was Fabian Johnson. Maybe you know,
you send him clips of the of the right winger,
you all the right all the options. You create posters
to hang in your in your let's say, in your
training room when you get to your World Cup base,
because you know, players don't really want to spend too
much time on video and stuff like that, so you
(28:18):
unless you're sending them like ten second clips, you know
twenty most I'm not saying all of them, but most
of them aren't really going to watch a lot, right,
They just play their game. But if you have little
posters and things like that around your your your camp,
then you know, players tend to look more. You know, Okay,
here's here's Harrison, that fool, and this is how he
attacks and in all his qualities, you know. And in
(28:39):
that case, don't forget they had Michael Essien, they had
Andre Ayen, they had Amogion who was their captain, right,
they had Jonathan must They had big, big players. And
I think when you're in the training room and you
see the posters of the players underneath, you see your
qualities listed as a player. You can tell that the
players tend to, you know, to gather and to look
(29:01):
and to oh he doesn't, and actually comment with each other.
So these are all the things that go into it
before you're even watching an actual video of Ghana, right,
and then as you get closer to camp, now you
start showing. And when you get to camp, you got
to put together your actual presentation, which is no more
than ten to twelve minutes, because after that it gets
too longs for players to retain. They just don't want
(29:23):
to be there. That's I hate to say that, but
that's the way it is, right, And you put the
presentation together and you show it to the players, and
then you arrive and you play the game. Now, I've
said all of these things because in this particular case,
as we're going to go into you know, you prepare
so much for six months. All of the things I
just mentioned to you are so many hours spent by
all the different scouts you have. And then we start
(29:46):
the Ghana game. In like two minutes, Dempsey scores and
change the game. So you're like, okay, different game now,
right now Ghana's going to be foot front. Now He's
going to be risking sending numbers forward, So now you
go into little bit of a different mode, but that
can happen.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
So so tap I figured that this is how this
went is you know, right before you know warm up,
they go on the field, they come back to the sideline,
and you walked up to Clint and handed them a
piece of paper that said, do this fake scissor touch,
cut in from the rights on the left side of
the box, beat three defenders and then put the ball
in the corner. And he was like, I didn't think
of that, thanks coach. And and then that's how we
(30:25):
scored in the first minute. That's how that one went.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Yeah, I recall, you know, I think I may have
that piece of paper I gave Clint.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
He gave it back to me. He gave it back
to me, but he really was to celebrate. He really
appreciated me coaching him through that. And and that simplified
all of our scouting, which is great.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Yeah, what a game that was, by the way, And
like I love going back to these because even just
you naming some of the Ghana players like I don't.
And so I would have been early college and and
I was a knowledgeable soccer fan. But you look at
Donna and they're not England's paying Brazil Argentina, right, and
you just the fan perspective is, oh, we have to
(31:02):
beat that team. If we don't beat that team, then
like we're not who are we not gonna be name?
But like that starting lineup that day, like and they
Kevin Prince, Bohtang and Michael Essien came came off the
bench for this team, right, Like that four year stretch
from like twenty ten to fourteen was legitimately a really
really good center forward Christianatsu and he was a star.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Yeah, for sure, John was a star.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
And going back the HBO documentary about the twenty two
World Cup Until Now that is very good. There's an
interview with like they're talking to twenty two World Cup
and Greg Burholz's like ask something and they're like, yeah,
just get out of the group. Just get and Greg's like, yeah,
just get out of the group, like kind of saying
it a little sarcastically, like I think we forget how
(31:44):
hard this is. And like that was the game that
John Anthony Brooks scores the late header and I don't know,
pandemonium and just just just what a game that was,
you know, and I.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
And I will say this now that you you just
spoke about Greg and you know, yeah, it's hard to
get out of the group. There's there's I think tofferent
types of teams in this tournament. One type is like us,
you have to play every game to win it like
it's a final, right. And then there's the big teams. Right.
Then there's the Argentina's, the Germany's, the likely France, Spain,
(32:16):
Brazil of the world who plan on going to play
seven games in this World Cup at oba games, right,
so they're planning is a little different. No, no, But
the reason I'm saying that is because as fans look
at the initial game of the World Cup, there likely
will be some upsets of big teams that can happen.
And the reason is, remember, big teams are planning to
(32:39):
win the tournament or to be there four or five
weeks from now, and they want to make sure they
get there with the right pieces to play against the
right teams and the countries who are there to just
like do the best they can. And I'm not saying
we're not there to win it. We're just we're just
not one of those countries that can afford to plan
on the eight games, you do plan. Of course, everybody
(33:00):
wants to win well of course, of course, of course
have to give everything you have from the beginning. And
I and I thought that was interesting. I learned that
from Jurgen because Jurgen said, hey, we're gonna be here
for seven games. We have to play our best pieces.
But the plan is seven games. He wouldn't even allow
players to schedule return flights in the second round or
in the third. You know, you just we're here to
stay and then we'll see what happens. But the big
(33:22):
teams prepare that way. And that's why sometimes in the
in the the first game of the tournament could be
upset city.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
So and and this this format is more forgiving than
literally any format in World Cup history. So I don't
I don't think that that's gonna take away from intensity.
I don't think that's gonna take away from the everybody's
dying to win and get every point, right, Like, I
don't think it's gonna change anything. But it's more about
after the game. Okay, listen, we're still alive. Like there's
not gonna be any dead rubber last group stage games.
(33:51):
Even if you go into that game with zero points
like you still have a chance, particularly depending on your
gold differts. But in general, going into that first game
tab you could talk about it from from your own
point of view or as a point of view from
the coach looking at the guys on the team about
you know, how how you're feeling in these games, nervous
or excited. And I'll give you what Eric Winoldad told
(34:13):
me this weekend, and I think you'll enjoy.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
But I want you to answer first.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Well, I mean, what what you're feeling is You're you're
certainly feeling some nerves. This is normal, you know, you
you you get you get nervous. These are big games
and no matter what you know, I can't speak for
you know, players like Messi or Ronaldo, these kind of guys,
of course, but I can tell you that most players
get nervous. It's normal. And then the game and then
the game starts, and then when the game starts, when
(34:40):
the whistle goes, then you're focus in the game and
you forget about everything else. You forget you're playing in
the world like you're you're just doing your job and
you're enjoying it because you're playing in front of so
many people, and then and then you don't you actually
don't want it to end. Well, actually, i'll take that back.
I wanted that Columbia game to end because it's what
I want to do. Yeah, yeah, because we were winning
(35:02):
two to one and one more minute would have been
to it. So but but but yeah, so but yeah, No,
you do feel the nerves, and they're great nerves to feel,
because sometimes you lose that at your club a little bit. Right,
you get used to the weekend week out and you
just play your game and you just do your job.
But then you get to the walk up and it's special.
It's so much different.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
So before Christian Polosik was saying, like, because he's been
asked about this one hundred times, he's starting to get
annoyed by get asked about it. But he's just like, yeah, no,
of course there's nerves, like we care so much as
the World Cup. Like he's like, I think you're lying
if you say that there's not, but you know you
could then you settle in, right, Eric Winolda. So again,
the nineteen ninety four team was honored at the game
before aakings Germany and they made a number of those
(35:44):
guys available to speak to the press. So I was
speaking to Eric win Alda and he was like, listen, man,
I'm gonna sound arrogant, but like, if you're a real player,
then like when the game starts, you feel fine. You
don't feel any nerves right like you could have. You
could have one of two reactions when you're listening to
the national anthem when you're on the field. You go,
oh my god, I hope I don't screw up, or
you go, hell, yeah, this is so freaking cool.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
I can't wait to the whistle blows. I can't wait
to play.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
It was like, I think we had seven of eleven
guys who were in the in that camp, and maybe
we had a couple on our team that was in
the first camp. He referenced you a few times, and
he puts you obviously in that second camp and spoke
spoke glowingly about his former teammate. But I thought I
thought it was it was funny the way that like
we all talk about nerves and like when all this
like yeah, listen, man, I don't want to sound arrogant,
but like you know, when when the whistle starts, you
(36:31):
don't feel.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
It, no, and you can. You know, it's actually a
great point because you can see it in the games.
You can see the way a player controls the ball
for the first time, whether they're actually in the game
or whether they just don't want to make a mistake,
and and you can pick those guys off right away.
But I think most players, especially in the game today,
where you know most players are playing for big teams,
(36:53):
are playing big games. I think they settle in a
game within the first couple of minutes. I don't think
there's any there's any concerns, certainly from our side, on
our team.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Yeah, I would agree. Looking forward to this game, we're
gonna dive into that a little bit more. We're gonna
make our picks. After this one quick break, we're gonna
talk about the Thursday and Friday World Cup matches, including
Mexico Canada. Yes, of course, the United States. Thank you
for listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rap the hubscribe
before we get your budgets. Welcome back to Inside American
(37:30):
Soccer tab. The World Cup starts this week, and it's
more than just the United States. So let's take a
look at the games that are coming up on Thursday
and Friday, and this segment is presented to you by
our friends at DraftKings Thursday afternoon in Mexico City is
where this tournament will kick off. It's Mexico, it's South Africa.
Tab What is your pick for this game?
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Well, this is I think this is gonna be a
great matchup to kick off the World Cup. Is you know,
a rematch of the twenty ten you know World Cup
when Mexico actually to play South Africa and they're World Cup.
I think, you know, Mexico looks solid at this point.
I think there's a lot of pressure on the team.
There's a lot of If you've been to the Esteco,
(38:11):
you've watched the game played at the Esteca, it's a
tough place to play. I think South Africa will have
a really tough time with this, not just because of
the environment of the crowd, but the altitude, the smog,
everything else that has to do with with playing in
Mexico City. You know, these games for opposing teams get
very very long after the sixtieth minute, and I think
(38:34):
South Africa will have a really tough time. I think
Mexico takes this two to one after winning two zero.
I think South Africa gets a goal at the end,
but I think this is Mexico's game.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Mexico are on a really good run of for him.
They just thrash Serbia five to one in their final
pre World Cup tune up. Serbia, I think we're well
off the pace. But Mexico's previous two friendlies were against
Gone in Australia. They won them both. South Africa I
think that they are a good tea. But Mexico at home,
I think I like to pick their tap. Later that night,
South Korea against Chechia.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Yeah, and I think that's an even matchup. Although I
have to say, you know, if you would have asked
me about South Korea about a year ago, I would
have had a much different opinion of the team I
thought they were about a year ago. They really look
like they were going to do something, like they were
really onto something special. I just don't see that the results.
Although they beat trinidat five zero, they beat El Salvador
(39:28):
one zero in the last game, they don't look convincing.
They're playing a European team that's very much used to
just getting all behind the ball encountering. They're hard They're
difficult to play against. They're coming off some some you know,
some decent results. They've been winning pretty much. They won
the last couple of games, but they come from the
(39:48):
playoff which was also tough and march, so they they've
been playing pressure games for a while. I can't see
South Korea beating Chechia at this point. I think I
think Checha takes this game one zero.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Ooh.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
I think I think a draw could be in play here,
but like a little like a little upset there. Friday afternoon,
we've got Canada, the second of the three hosts, to
kick off their tournament. They are playing in Toronto against
Bosia and Herzegovina. Bosnia came through the World Cup playoffs
to get to this stage, and I think both clubs
are looking at this game and saying kind of a
(40:23):
must win for each of them.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
I think they are, and they should. Actually, you know, Canada,
I've watched Canada play a couple of times. They're not convincing.
They're not giving away much, but they're also not creating much.
This is a tough game for Canada. For Canada, although
Bosnia is coming also from basically tying games, right, but
Let's not forget.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Let's not forget.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
They eliminated Italy, right, and and they played well when
they eliminated Italy. They that was our last big game
they've had to play. And if I had to just
judge them on that last game, they were superior to
Italy in every facet of the game. And I think
we have to we have to take that into consideration.
Having said that, they're not a team that scores a
(41:06):
lot of goals, they also don't give them up. I
think you have a pretty even match up here. If
I had if I had a call a result on
this one, I would say this is going to be
a one to one tie.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
And those were the two results for Bosnia in the
World Cup playoffs. They beat Wales and penalties after one
one and they beat itaien penalties after one one draw.
A couple of notes on Canada, Alfonso Davies conflicting information
on if he's available to play. He himself told a
radio show he wasn't, and then a couple of days
later he told local media he wanted to clarify what
he said, and he said he doesn't know if he's
(41:39):
able to play. So that's always interesting to have. I
think that one would go under the category of gamesmanship there,
particularly that sounds like the coach or the PR person said,
you're speaking to the media and you're walking that back
immediately and then moist bomb. Vito is unfortunately out of
this tournament. He believe it was a broken leg that
he suffered in the fall. He hoped that he was
going to get back for this. He hadn't played a
(42:00):
club game since then. Unfortunately he's not available to play.
And those I think are that's definitely the most important player,
and I think two of their most three or four
important players. So Canada aren't quite at one hundred percent here.
But tab the last one, the one that we've been
talking about this entire episode Friday night in Los Angeles,
United States. Paraguay, how do you see this one going?
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Yeah? I mean, I think with all the things that
we spoke about now, having spoken about the tenacity of
the Paraguayan team, how hard they are defending, I just
can't see a place where Paraguay is going to turn
around and somehow win this game. I'm not seeing it.
I think the best chance they have to win this
game is by attacking us up the middle. As quickly
(42:43):
as possible, because if I have to say, you know
what our weakness is, that would be our weakness. They
just don't have the manpower to do that. I'm not
seeing it. I think without inciso on the field, you know,
you're going to find so sub wide defending, you're going
to find out maron defending. I just don't think it
have enough to attack. I think the US will be
too much in this game and they will win this
(43:04):
game to zero.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
I think the US.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
Listen, I feel silly to say must win for tournament
where I said that there's much more room for errors
or room for mistakes and room to kind of recover.
But going into this game, Paraguay's best player is almost
definitely out in the United States a decent form coming
against that. Senegal win and listen, it's a home World Cup,
it's the opening game. With all due respect to Paraguay,
(43:29):
they are not an easy team to beat. But the
United States has to be arrogant enough to be walking
into this thinking, yeah, we're gonna win. Obviously we're gonna win,
like that should be the minds of the mentality. A
couple of notes on this. We're recording this Monday, morning.
After we're done, I'll be heading to training and we'll
be asking about Chris Richards, and we'll be asking about
Chris Richards every day leading into this game, So stay
tuned on social media for updates there. We don't have
(43:51):
a definitive one. Before the Germany game, he trained individually
for the first time tab I. We watched him go
through drills. He wasn't just standing off to the side
and they let him juggle and they counted it as
individual training.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
He was actually doing work. He was moving pretty good.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
But obviously there's no defenders around you, you know what
your movements are gonna be. So I don't want to
take too much into that, but it was better than
him not playing, So we'll see where that one goes.
How are you feeling in general looking ahead to Friday time.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
I feel good about it. First of all, just to
discuss a little bit the Richard situation. As I mentioned
the other day on the show, I think he's got
to play. You know, you gotta play the game. I mean,
go go talk to the coach and say, coach, listen,
I'm I'm ninety percent. This is good. Ninety percent is good.
I'm gonna give everything is ninety percent. The red's gonna come.
The rest's gonna come from my heart. I'm ready. I
(44:42):
gotta play this one. I can't sit out, so hopefully
Chris does that. And by the way, he's that kind
of kid, that kind of player, so he wants, he
wants to, and I want to, ye.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
I want to be clear.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
I have a pretty good source that he wants to
and he's been saying that since since the injury happened.
I'm good for the workup, I'm good. I think if
the game against Germany was a group stage game, I
think you would have fought like hell to be able
to play. So I would if there's a chance. If
there if it's just about managing pain, he's gonna play.
(45:13):
And I know that about Chris Richards. So we'll see
how it goes. And there's gonna be about a week
between these World Cup games, so you got plenty of
time to recover between games. But thank you for listening
to Inside American Soccer. That's it for us today. The
next time you hear from us, it'll be after that
Paraguay game. We're gonna break it all down. So please
let rate with you, subscribe whatever, you gets your podcast.
(45:33):
I cannot wait till the games to start. Thank you
again for listen to Inside American Soccer.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
We'll see us been basically.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
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I think he's got to play. You know, you gotta
play the game. I mean, go go talk to the
coach and say, coach, listen, I'm I'm ninety percent. The
rest is gonna come from my heart. I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Everybody welcomes inside American Soccer. I am usmn T insider
Tom Boger. I am joined by one of the greatest
players in US soccer history, veteran three World Cups, my
good friend tab Ramos tab The World Cup is here.
Injuries are starting to happen for teams. That is heartbreaking
to see. But the games are about to be here.
We are days away from Mexico kicking off the World
(00:33):
Cup and then twenty four hours after that, the United
States start their journey at the World Cup.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
How are we feeling excited? You have to say, because
you know it starts in a couple of days. I
actually head off to I know you're in La now
already set up right. I head out to Philadelphia actually tomorrow,
and that'll be my my home base for the World Cup,
and then I'll travel to Toronto into the second round.
But very excited about it. But to be honest, has
(01:00):
nothing to do with coaching or anything else or having
played in it. It just I'd love being at the
stadium for these games. And there's there's just like such
a special feeling about being in the in the stadium
and watching the different countries play with their best players
and given everything they have, considering their whole countries are
following this. You know, obviously World Cup is you know,
(01:22):
it's the biggest deal, the biggest sporting event, and and
it's just great to be part of it. Really.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
That makes me happy to hear you saying that still
in twenty twenty six, as somebody who's been doing this
for player, as a coach, You've seen it from every
angle and for you to still have that like childish joy,
and that makes me happy because this is the first
World Cup I'm covering. I went and picked up my
credential yesterday and we talk. We've been doing this show,
(01:50):
I've been covering this team. It all feels like formulaic daily.
You're too close to it to like step back and
see a big pictures. So people have asked me about
like the World Cup, and again it feel stupid that
I'm telling this kind of story to tab freaking Ramos
about going to the World Cup and the feelings therein
while I pick up a World Cup like a press pass,
vastly vastly different, a much much smaller angle, but for me,
(02:12):
like it felt pretty cool and I hadn't been really
like thin people. I was like, yeah, no, it's just
like doing another thing over another game. I picked up
my credential yesterday, like at Sofi Stadium, and I was
like whoa, Like this is real and it was like
the first time I started to feel like any like
strong feelings and like you think about your career and stuff.
And I was like, all right, like let me lean
into this. It hasn't hit me yet really at all.
(02:32):
I try to walk toward to the stadium to like
just have a moment by myself. I get screamed at
my two security cards. We're close, work close. It's like, okay,
I'm gonna leave, go back to the parking lot and
leave now. The nice moment is over. Immediately I walked away,
So I I like encourage my feelings for about fifteen
seconds before they went away to.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, they you know, they run a tight ship, that's
for sure. You know you normally you know just just
when you're coming in you you can feel it, right
because even stadiums, let's say, like like here in New
Jersey what they call New York New Jersey Stadium. Now
for this, you know, you won't be able to get
near the field, if you remember in Qatar was kind
(03:12):
of the same. Like you you know, there's a there's
like a two hundred yard one hundred and fifty yard buffer,
and you as a fan, hand your ticket in and
then you're like free to go anywhere, but you're within
like within like an air. Everything is so organized, everything
is so contained, but the important part is the fun
of it because I you know, like just like you're saying,
(03:34):
you know, I obviously played in the U twenty World
Cup when I was when I was much younger, uh,
and then I played in ninety ninety four, ninety eight,
and I didn't go to two six or ten. But
then I was assistant coach to Jurgen in fourteen, I
worked for Telemundo eighteen, I worked for Telemundo in twenty two,
and now I'm working for HBS and in twenty six.
(03:55):
So I've been to pretty much all of them for
the last you know, and it's it's such a great
feel but I have to tell you, and I'm glad
you mentioned that. Although I've been to all of them
in so many different let's say, functions or jobs, I
still feel like a child when I walk on the field.
I love it. No, there's really no other place I'd
(04:15):
rather be.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
You and me both my friend.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
So we are building up to the opening World Cup
game for the United States on Friday. The US host
Paraguay at SOFI Stadium in Los Angeles six pm Pacific time,
nine pm Eastern. This is a rematch of a fall
friendly between these two countries that happened in Philly. The
United States won two to one that day. The lineup
this week and the lineup from that game are going
to be vastly vesti different. There's no Christian Polisic. Tanner
(04:41):
Testsman was among the starters in that game, so was
Brendan Ronson. Balgan and Giororina scored in a two to
one win. But that game was a bit of a
turning point for this group. Not in their tactics because
that changed in the previous window, which set this team
up on a much much better spot, but the physicality
and like emotion we hadn't really seen it from this
(05:01):
group we didn't often under Greg Burholter, and we still
hadn't really yet under Musia Pochettino. This game was very
physical and it ended with a bit of a fight,
like Alex Freeman and one of the Paraguay defenders were
fighting over a throw in and all of a sudden,
before you knew it, both benches, all twenty two players
are there. Miles Robinson came in to defend this guy
(05:23):
got put in a headlock. Immediately, Riso Pochettino tried to
run over to break up the fight. He slipped and
fell and the opposing coaches his friend helped him up
or like it could have been a bad situation. Pochettino
called everything very, very dangerous, but all of the players
were like you could see something turning them. They're like, yeah,
like this is We're here for our guys, Like we
(05:43):
were always gonna fight, We're never gonna back down. And
that was something that we hadn't really seen from this team.
And it's gonna be pretty tense and physical out to
World Cup no matter what. But I think particularly with
these two teams, that's what you're gonna see. Paraguay they
won four nothing over Nicaragua and lost to on the
Morocco this window in their pre World Cup friendly, and
in March they beat Greece one nothing. So tap overall,
(06:04):
big picture playing this Paraguay team, what should we expect?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yeah, So that's I think that's a good way to
frame it, because I think we have to start with
the head coach. I think you know, they broke Gustavo
Alpharo in twenty twenty four. You know, Paraguay had been obviously,
they haven't been to a World Cup since twenty ten,
where they had let's say their Golden Generation, you know
that went to the quarterfinals, and they've they had been
(06:31):
trying to change the way they played over the last
few years. They had been trying to become a possession team,
you know, a team that held the ball on the
opposing side of the field, and it wasn't it really
wasn't working. And they hired gustav Alfaro and the first
thing he said in his press conference was pretty much,
we're going back to the Paraguay and DNA, which is
(06:51):
we're going to defend, we're going to give away nothing,
and we're going to counter as quickly as we can.
And basically that's the setup, that's where they've been. You know,
Gustavo Alfaro has experience. You know, he coached the last
World Cup with Ecuador and in which he had the
opportunity to also play the host in the in the
(07:11):
first match, so he's familiar with what's going to be
happening with this and I think he is likely the
key to this team at the moment because he really
If there's one thing we can say about this team
before we go into tactics and you know and who
the lineup is going to be, is this is a
very well oiled machine. They're organized and they have great
(07:32):
chemistry amongst the players.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
And so as interesting that that coach has the World
Cup experience, well maybe these players don't. At the last
World Cup Ecuador were I think they were a very
fun team and I don't know if they would have
better quality than this Paraguay, but maybe it's comparable. Maybe
they don't have the same exact top end players. They won,
draw and lost. They drew the Netherlands, they beat Guitar,
(07:56):
but they lost the Senegal and four points in twenty
twenty two meant you were eliminated four points. This year,
you were I think the math somebody ran the simulations,
you're like ninety nine point eight percent guaranteed to get
through with four points. So I think it's worth worth
mentioning that this is a team, or this is a
coach that's at least taking a team of maybe underdogs
in a couple of those games and gotten results that
(08:18):
would have been enough to get them out of the group.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
And tap to.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Your point, maybe they're going to have similar strengths and
weaknesses to that Ecuador team. What what are the strengths
and weaknesses of this team?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
I think you you hit the nail on the head there.
You know, Ecuador had better players. It was a little
bit different than this team, however.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yeah, they were also a little bit younger, right other
than interviews.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Well yeah they were. I think they were the youngest
team at the last. They might have been the youngest
team at the last. US was I think US was
first or second? Yeah, I think you're right. So, but yeah,
a little bit of a different team, you know. They
they had more exciting players. Plus, you know, like I
always say about the World Cup, it's always about teams
represent their culture and who they are, and Ecuador's culture
(09:03):
is not that it's not the holdback and defend and
then just counter every once in a while. They actually
want to play football. They want to play, you know, Paraguay,
and I'm not saying they don't like to play, of course,
but they've already been known for the last forty to
fifty sixty years in South America as being a hard
team to play against. And this is for teams like
Uruguay and Argentina and Brazil. They know when they go
(09:25):
to Paraguay they're in for a fight. It's not so
much about football, it's about a fight, and it's been
that way and that's their culture and that's how they
do it, and that's okay too, and I think that's
that's what we will find.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
What is this lineup going to look like? A quick update?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Their star player Julio and Ciso, picked up an injury
in the game against Nicaraguay, came off the field in tears.
He did travel with the team and surprisingly he trained
individually on Sunday with the group. By the time this
comes out, maybe there'll be more updates, but the initial
update was he's out for the first two games of
the group stage. I don't know if him being able
(10:04):
to train individually is a positive sign that has anything
to do with his availability.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I'd still pretty strongly.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Doubt to have that he's available for the US, but
maybe he could make a cameo in their second game.
All that aside, what will this team look like in
terms of a lineup and their key players?
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Just to address that for a second, I did read
that about him being training on his own, and we
don't know what that means. Really, that could have meant
he was walking around the field, because you know, it
sounds from all the reports that I've seen and the
people I've spoken with that it's a muscular injury, right,
And it's hard to you know, it's hard to cut
too much time into one of those. You know, when
(10:43):
they happen, it's usually a couple of weeks and it's
hard to get away from that. But you never know,
you never know how you know, you have to remember,
you know, these games are so important that you don't
know how many games coaches play, right, because him saying
that he's training on his own made us be the
lead up to this game, so that the US is saying, hey,
(11:03):
maybe he's playing. You know, we have to be prepared
for that, just so you know, you never know how that.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Was my first thought.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
But I was like, it'd be it'd be like, I
don't know if I can in my position say that,
or like definitely can't say with definitive it, but like
in hindsight when he's not on the bench, or if
like you see him walking in warm ups but his
jersey's on and it's like, obviously he's not playing.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
In hindsight, you could say, obviously this is this is
my games.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
But I was I was a little bit cowardly to
say that that was probably what it is.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
But listen, if I'm the coach on the other side,
I'm thinking, I'm thinking and Cecil got hurt, But did
he really get hurt? Was he really crying? Was he like?
I'm not If I'm the coach on the other side,
I'm not believing anything right now, I'm like, is this
pre planned for him to come out? You know, obviously
I don't wish you know, Ceesar's a twenty three year
old kid. I wish him the best. I hope he's okay, obviously,
(11:52):
But if I'm the coach on the other side, if
I'm Patino, I'm thinking, did he really get hurt.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Let me let's just let's just have bad up here
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Of course, always always, so let's go. I'll go with
the lineup to start. Gatito Fernandez will be their keeper.
He's been doing great. They trust him, you know, not
much to say about him. He has a lot of
experience and I think he's he's the right guy. He's
been playing their important games. On the right, it'll be
Cassris and Dynamo Moscow. He can get forward a little
(12:21):
bit and can be dangerous, but main position is really
to defend. Gomez will be in the middle from Palmaris.
He has experienced thirty years old. Al Dirette will probably
be next to him, although Balbuena could take in to
get either one of those positions. I think not important
for what we're talking about because they're solid defensively, regardless
of who plays. Junior or A. Lonzo will be on
(12:43):
the left side. He's a thirty three year old. Later on,
when we go into strengths and weaknesses, I think that's
an area that US could probably exploit a little bit.
Although Maidana, twenty year old that plays for Tayeez Gorlova
in Argentina, is a pretty good option for them if
they side to go younger, I don't think they will.
Cuba's we all know Kuba's obviously from Vancouver, will be
(13:05):
in the center of midfield. He's that quiet leader that
you almost don't notice. But if you take them off
of a team, the team completely changes because I think
the same would happen in Vancouver if he wasn't there, right,
Bokadilla and Diego Gomez will be supporting that both kind
of a little bit of aids going back and forth. Obviously,
(13:26):
we know Diego Gomez is at this point their star,
right He's the one that can make potentially make a
difference in this game. And Siso being out I think
throws this game a little bit into a little different
type of lineup for them because they're more of a
four to four to two within Siso as we mentioned,
because he floats in between lines. I think they're likely
(13:46):
used Ramone Sos on the right side, so they're likely
going to be a four or five one with al
Moron on the other side. So it'll be Rubens Sos
on one side, al Moron on the opposite side, and
then Zanabria, who plays for Kembernese. He's been around for
a while. He's a Lamashia product, you know, for a while.
I think he has the most experience and likely the
one that's gonna play. Although people are talking about alex
(14:08):
are say potentially playing, I just don't think that will happen.
So that's pretty much the gist of their lineup before
five to one.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, and then while the biggest change will be no
in Ciso because of how individualistic he is, and they
like he's earned the right in this team to have
more freedom, and so, like you said, tab It, it's
more of a flound rule. Maybe this is gonna be
a little bit more structured in the attack without in Ciso,
because I think we both really respect Miguel Maroon. I
don't think micgl Maroon's at the stage of his career
where you say, hey, just go flow around and win
(14:37):
the game. Think he's somebody more that will be an
important piece for them, particularly in transition, but it won't
be the same type of role as in Ciso. As
you listed that lineup, I was looking back against the
friendly against US. Six of the eleven that you have
in your eleven is who they started with. So it's
gonna be a vastly, vastly changed team, or maybe not vastly,
but in Siso started in October and that that'll be
(15:01):
a key. A couple people on the back line going
into that game. I remember I was talking to somebody
from Paraguay and it was like, why is he starting
this goalkeeper in this center forward? And Arsite was the
center forward. But that was like part of their whole debate,
Like a lot of their team was settled. Diego Gomez
avoided an injury scare at the end of the Premier
League season with the Brighton. I think he's going to
be very good. But all that is to say I
(15:23):
think you can take away large strokes from that friendly game.
But with these two teams, there was so many different
pieces on the field. There was no polistic for the US.
Testsamon started, Joe Scalley started, they got out Arena Arenson.
I don't think that these players will be starting for
the US in this game, but they did get a
(15:44):
taste of what it would be like against Paraguay. And again,
there are no friendly games, particularly between with a team
like Paraguay, who is combative and proud and really competitive.
It'll be another level here at the World Cup in
the first game. So with that laid out, what do
what does the US need to do to be successful
(16:06):
to break them down? Is this more about Paraguay has
to adapt to the US or the US has these
three keys that that they can target and use to
their advantage in this game.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Well, I think inevitably. I think what's going to have
to happen here is we have to be very patient
and organized as we attack. You know, Paraguay is going
to give us the ball. You know, they are very
good defensively. They want to be in that low block.
The key for us is to not panic, not to
not to throw too many too many numbers forward early.
(16:43):
But I do think we can attack their wings. You know.
I wish in a way we could fit potentially way
into this game because he could break the game open
on one side if he were to play next to
let's say, in front of Sergenio desk, you know, instead
of Tillman. I don't think that's going to happen obviously,
but I think at some point that will be useful
because you know, this team, not only are they good
(17:06):
in that in the low block, they're they're good on
crosses too, and that's something that I think is one
of our strengths, you know, where we I feel like
with the team we have, we can win games at
the end by putting balls in the box because I
think we have guys that can that can really get
into the box and get us goals. But I think
this Paraguay team is very good and they're comfortable sitting
(17:27):
in the box, so we'll have difficulty with that. So
if I were to say if we could, if we
could pull Paraguay out a little bit, you know, I
know that we want to high press, because that's what
we do. However, I think if we high press, we're
just going to force them to kick the ball to us.
That's the kind of game I'm seeing. I think Paraguay
will be fine with kicking the ball to us and
waiting for us to make a mistake to attack as
(17:48):
quickly as possible.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I would agree there, And I think Tyler Adams is
probably going to say this in every kit before every
game and on this show at the World Cup.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I think Taler is going to be so.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Deeply important for this team because Paraguay's greatest threat, I
think will be in transition and attacking space that the
US may or may not leave when they're committing numbers forward,
When Paraguay are sitting back and sitting back on purpose
and comfortable defending deep, it'll be Tyler Adams with his
ability to cover ground and defend in transition, which are
(18:21):
his two strengths.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Those are his world class qualities.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
And if he's there to put out fires before Paraguay
can even start a transition moment, the pressure is gonna
build and the presure is going to be too much.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I think that Pulisic is no stranger to playing.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Against one a low block because in CONCAKEF that is
almost always what the United States face, and in CONCACAFF,
he is no stranger to facing a team that's just
going to try to kick the shit out of you.
I think that's what Paraguay is going to do. And
I don't say it that they're dirty. I just they're
a physical team. And part of defending deep is you're
going to have to earn every yard you get. If
(18:56):
you beat one player, guess what another one's gonna be
there and he's gonna chip you to So trying to
find moments of fluidity in space, the earlier the better,
because the longer this game goes on, it's tied that
favors the defensive team, that favors the underdog. So as
long as the United States are building constant pressure, and
that's why I go back to Tyler Adams that if
he's putting out fires before maybe they even start, then
(19:19):
Paraguay will won't even have moments to get up the field,
won't have moments to take a break defensively, and you
cannot defend for ninety minutes, right like, there has to
be moments of reprief there has to be moments of
getting forward. And if Tyler Adams can quell that as
best as he can, then I think the United States
will be set up very well. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
And when I mentioned having patients, I don't mean the
type of patients that we're watching five yard passes from
one place to the other. I mean the type of patients.
You know, if you think about what happens with low
block teams, low block teams get organized very quickly, especially
in the middle when the ball goes to one side,
they all channel very quickly and very organized one way.
(19:57):
So you know, by patients, I mean can we play
the go back and switch to the other side to
find someone on the line, to find Robinson on one
line right as he goes for Anthony Robinson as he attacks,
if the space is not there, he plays it back.
We find the opposite side, and now you find Sir
Genio desk. And now you're forcing because now you're forcing
al Maron to defend on one side and so said
(20:19):
to defend on the other side. So now you're playing
against players who are not defenders. And I think that's
how you can get in the box. So the patience
does not mean play slow. It likely means not play
so many short passes open the field a little bit
more from side to side and make them chase side
to side until you find an opening.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yes, patient, but not slow the pace of the passes
and the pace of decision making that and tad when
you do get one of those big switches, that you
don't put your foot on the ball and let them
reset and get reorganized, which I think sometimes again I
think more so in the Burhalter era. That was one
of my big critiques of the team that even when
they seem to get a numbers advantage, it was, hey,
(20:58):
let's slow it down. Let's go back to doo oor
patterns and our formulas. Like I think it's very important
that when you make even when you get those switches,
that you don't let them off the look like if
there's a.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Moment to push, you push.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
And and with that, I am curious if Baligan or
Peppy's gonna start.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
I'm assuming it's going to be Baligain.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
But and the way that he kind of occupied some
of the German German center backs was important. But Ricardo
Peppi is really good at occupying defenders and and helping
space with his for his team, it gets a little
bit better in hold up play and and and combinations,
whereas Baligan is extraordinarily dangerous when he has space and
(21:36):
uh time to run and ability to get into the channels.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
I don't know how many channels that there's going to
be against paragwise my hole.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Yeah, you know, And that that's the difference, And that's
what Puschetino has to think about, right because when we
watch Peppi, Plague and Senegal. When Pepe stepped into midfield,
the the the the center backs followed. Paraguay doesn't follow
that much. They'll let you go. They just want to
stay in defence. So if if Peppy gets into midfield,
it's like that they're going to follow him three four
(22:02):
yards and then let them go and he can go receive,
but they're gonna stay compact. So this is this is
a little bit different than playing against Senegal, I feel, uh.
And so maybe Baligan is the is a bet, is
a little bit of a better nine to have at
the very least in this in this particular game because
of it.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
And so would you do the same attacking combinations as
the game against Ceremony, So that'd be Balgain, Pools, Tillman
and then McKinney and the wing back.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
I would to start the game, I would start the same.
I think we have to see what they give us first,
and don't forget that. You know, as much as you prepare,
this game can change in one minute as it starts.
So I think you you first want to start, you know,
without you know, sort of throwing the house at them, right,
you start with your principles. You're gonna press high, which
is what we think we're doing. Right, We're gonna press hig.
(22:49):
We're going to force them to kick the ball back
to us. When the bulls does how quickly. Can we
make them chase from side to side to make sure
we keep all their attackers occupied defending right, because they're
are only chance of winning this game is going to
be an accounter. But if if when they recover the ball,
al Moron is all the way back and Sosa is
all the way back, they really don't have people to
(23:10):
attack with, and so I think that's the safest Actually,
the safest way to defend is by forcing their the
forcing their you know, their attackers. They are dangerous guys
to be occupied. And so I think that will be
part of this game, and I'm sure something that Pochettino
is thinking about. But it's certainly going to be a
little bit of a chess match unless something unusual happens,
(23:30):
which in World Cup games can happen. Right for a
couple of minutes, you give up a goal or or
you score a goal and now things change.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yeah, at the risk of undercutting everything we just said,
that is the beauty of World Cup game, That is
the beauty of all these big tournaments is that.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
You can prepare, prepare, prepare.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
And then we're going to talk about twenty fourteen against Ghana,
and then Clint Dempsey scores in the second minute.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Then well, plans changed in a very good way for
that one.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
So with coper a quick break, we're going to talk
about twenty fourteen. Tab was on the coaching staff of
that World Cup as they prepared for Ghana in Brazil.
So please rate, review and subscribe to Inside American Soccer
with Tom Bogeren and Tab.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Ramos wherever you get to play.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Welcome back to Inside American Soccer, tund to go inside
the locker room with Tab.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Here and Tab.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
We are days away from the World Cup starting for
the United States, and we go back a dozen years
and you were an assistant on your clansman staff at
the twenty fourteen World Cup, helping prepare the United States
for Ghana.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
So take us inside what that was like.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Well, you know, I'll take us all the way back
to sort of how it starts, right the planning, because
obviously the World Cup. You know, it takes a lot
of planning to go to World Cup because the games
are so important. You know, in the end, in the
first five minutes of a game, you know you can
your whole destiny can change, and your whole future can change.
So you have to be very well prepared as at
(24:55):
least as much as you can. So really the planning,
let's say we'll go back to Ghana. But I think
as I speak about Ghana, we're relating this to Paraguay,
who's our first game. Right, So normally, normally as the
staff you already have before the draw, this is before
the draw six months ago. Let's say you already start
to gather your scouting staff that will be with the
(25:18):
different teams, right, and then you'll add someone who's a
little bit more of an expert on that team. Right,
So we drew, We drew Ghana. At that time, we
knew who are sort of our scouts were going to be.
And as soon as the draw happened, now you gotta
you gotta start thinking about Okay. Now, now you have to,
first of all, dig into your library of games that
(25:40):
Ghana has played to qualify, right, So that's your first
that's your first shot at scouting is seeing the video
of everything they've done so far to get there.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Right.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Then you move into Okay, now we have to follow them.
Let's see what their games upcoming are and who we're getting,
and our scouts will go there wherever it is you
want to You want to be able to watch the
team's live. It's not like you're just watching the video
at home. So if Ghana is playing, you know in Australia,
you got to go to Australia and you got to
actually watch the game, not just the video. So you
(26:10):
start following it. As part of following them, you start
following what the players are saying, You start following what
the coach is saying. You start, you know, coaches and
coaches sometimes and I learned this from Bora back in
nineteen ninety four. You know, you know, coaches sometimes give
away what they do. They like talking about what they're doing,
and sometimes it's this is no one's fault. We all
(26:32):
do it, and I did it as a coach sometimes
because you don't want to sound like you don't know
what you're doing. You're giving everything you're doing so people know, oh, well,
this guy knows what he's doing. But then at the
same time you're giving away, right what it is that's
happened in the field, So you do follow that. So
you spend the six months following what the players say,
trying to figure out if there's chemistry within the team,
(26:52):
trying to figure out if the coach has chemistry with
the players, which player likes, what player like? All these
are all the this is a part of the planning,
right And then so then you get to the point
where you start to figure out, Okay, this is how
they play, this is their DNA, this is what they
do with these players. If they're playing under a certain score,
then you switch to these other players. That's what the
(27:14):
coach normally does. And then you figure out, like whatever
other problems they have. I remember that with Ghana in particular,
they had even going into the World Cup, they had
like money problems. They weren't getting paid, like you know,
at times following Ghana, we didn't know if they were
going to practice or not because they weren't going to
get their money. They wanted their money in cash and
the federation said no, we'll pay it to you later. Right,
(27:37):
So like there's all there's all of these things going on.
But my point being that this is not just it's
not like you just pull out a couple of videos
and and you and you just put that together for
the players and you show it. You you know, you
you're sending clips to players where like you know, if
Ghana has been using three different right wingers. You sent
to your left back and I think in our case
(27:57):
at the time it was Fabian Johnson. Maybe you know,
you send him clips of the of the right winger,
you all the right all the options. You create posters
to hang in your in your let's say, in your
training room when you get to your World Cup base,
because you know, players don't really want to spend too
much time on video and stuff like that, so you
(28:18):
unless you're sending them like ten second clips, you know
twenty most I'm not saying all of them, but most
of them aren't really going to watch a lot, right,
They just play their game. But if you have little
posters and things like that around your your your camp,
then you know, players tend to look more. You know, Okay,
here's here's Harrison, that fool, and this is how he
attacks and in all his qualities, you know. And in
(28:39):
that case, don't forget they had Michael Essien, they had
Andre Ayen, they had Amogion who was their captain, right,
they had Jonathan must They had big, big players. And
I think when you're in the training room and you
see the posters of the players underneath, you see your
qualities listed as a player. You can tell that the
players tend to, you know, to gather and to look
(29:01):
and to oh he doesn't, and actually comment with each other.
So these are all the things that go into it
before you're even watching an actual video of Ghana, right,
and then as you get closer to camp, now you
start showing. And when you get to camp, you got
to put together your actual presentation, which is no more
than ten to twelve minutes, because after that it gets
too longs for players to retain. They just don't want
(29:23):
to be there. That's I hate to say that, but
that's the way it is, right, And you put the
presentation together and you show it to the players, and
then you arrive and you play the game. Now, I've
said all of these things because in this particular case,
as we're going to go into you know, you prepare
so much for six months. All of the things I
just mentioned to you are so many hours spent by
all the different scouts you have. And then we start
(29:46):
the Ghana game. In like two minutes, Dempsey scores and
change the game. So you're like, okay, different game now,
right now Ghana's going to be foot front. Now He's
going to be risking sending numbers forward, So now you
go into little bit of a different mode, but that
can happen.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
So so tap I figured that this is how this
went is you know, right before you know warm up,
they go on the field, they come back to the sideline,
and you walked up to Clint and handed them a
piece of paper that said, do this fake scissor touch,
cut in from the rights on the left side of
the box, beat three defenders and then put the ball
in the corner. And he was like, I didn't think
of that, thanks coach. And and then that's how we
(30:25):
scored in the first minute. That's how that one went.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Yeah, I recall, you know, I think I may have
that piece of paper I gave Clint.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
He gave it back to me. He gave it back
to me, but he really was to celebrate. He really
appreciated me coaching him through that. And and that simplified
all of our scouting, which is great.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Yeah, what a game that was, by the way, And
like I love going back to these because even just
you naming some of the Ghana players like I don't.
And so I would have been early college and and
I was a knowledgeable soccer fan. But you look at
Donna and they're not England's paying Brazil Argentina, right, and
you just the fan perspective is, oh, we have to
(31:02):
beat that team. If we don't beat that team, then
like we're not who are we not gonna be name?
But like that starting lineup that day, like and they
Kevin Prince, Bohtang and Michael Essien came came off the
bench for this team, right, Like that four year stretch
from like twenty ten to fourteen was legitimately a really
really good center forward Christianatsu and he was a star.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Yeah, for sure, John was a star.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
And going back the HBO documentary about the twenty two
World Cup Until Now that is very good. There's an
interview with like they're talking to twenty two World Cup
and Greg Burholz's like ask something and they're like, yeah,
just get out of the group. Just get and Greg's like, yeah,
just get out of the group, like kind of saying
it a little sarcastically, like I think we forget how
(31:44):
hard this is. And like that was the game that
John Anthony Brooks scores the late header and I don't know,
pandemonium and just just just what a game that was,
you know, and I.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
And I will say this now that you you just
spoke about Greg and you know, yeah, it's hard to
get out of the group. There's there's I think tofferent
types of teams in this tournament. One type is like us,
you have to play every game to win it like
it's a final, right. And then there's the big teams. Right.
Then there's the Argentina's, the Germany's, the likely France, Spain,
(32:16):
Brazil of the world who plan on going to play
seven games in this World Cup at oba games, right,
so they're planning is a little different. No, no, But
the reason I'm saying that is because as fans look
at the initial game of the World Cup, there likely
will be some upsets of big teams that can happen.
And the reason is, remember, big teams are planning to
(32:39):
win the tournament or to be there four or five
weeks from now, and they want to make sure they
get there with the right pieces to play against the
right teams and the countries who are there to just
like do the best they can. And I'm not saying
we're not there to win it. We're just we're just
not one of those countries that can afford to plan
on the eight games, you do plan. Of course, everybody
(33:00):
wants to win well of course, of course, of course
have to give everything you have from the beginning. And
I and I thought that was interesting. I learned that
from Jurgen because Jurgen said, hey, we're gonna be here
for seven games. We have to play our best pieces.
But the plan is seven games. He wouldn't even allow
players to schedule return flights in the second round or
in the third. You know, you just we're here to
stay and then we'll see what happens. But the big
(33:22):
teams prepare that way. And that's why sometimes in the
in the the first game of the tournament could be
upset city.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
So and and this this format is more forgiving than
literally any format in World Cup history. So I don't
I don't think that that's gonna take away from intensity.
I don't think that's gonna take away from the everybody's
dying to win and get every point, right, Like, I
don't think it's gonna change anything. But it's more about
after the game. Okay, listen, we're still alive. Like there's
not gonna be any dead rubber last group stage games.
(33:51):
Even if you go into that game with zero points
like you still have a chance, particularly depending on your
gold differts. But in general, going into that first game
tab you could talk about it from from your own
point of view or as a point of view from
the coach looking at the guys on the team about
you know, how how you're feeling in these games, nervous
or excited. And I'll give you what Eric Winoldad told
(34:13):
me this weekend, and I think you'll enjoy.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
But I want you to answer first.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Well, I mean, what what you're feeling is You're you're
certainly feeling some nerves. This is normal, you know, you
you you get you get nervous. These are big games
and no matter what you know, I can't speak for
you know, players like Messi or Ronaldo, these kind of guys,
of course, but I can tell you that most players
get nervous. It's normal. And then the game and then
the game starts, and then when the game starts, when
(34:40):
the whistle goes, then you're focus in the game and
you forget about everything else. You forget you're playing in
the world like you're you're just doing your job and
you're enjoying it because you're playing in front of so
many people, and then and then you don't you actually
don't want it to end. Well, actually, i'll take that back.
I wanted that Columbia game to end because it's what
I want to do. Yeah, yeah, because we were winning
(35:02):
two to one and one more minute would have been
to it. So but but but yeah, so but yeah, No,
you do feel the nerves, and they're great nerves to feel,
because sometimes you lose that at your club a little bit. Right,
you get used to the weekend week out and you
just play your game and you just do your job.
But then you get to the walk up and it's special.
It's so much different.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
So before Christian Polosik was saying, like, because he's been
asked about this one hundred times, he's starting to get
annoyed by get asked about it. But he's just like, yeah, no,
of course there's nerves, like we care so much as
the World Cup. Like he's like, I think you're lying
if you say that there's not, but you know you
could then you settle in, right, Eric Winolda. So again,
the nineteen ninety four team was honored at the game
before aakings Germany and they made a number of those
(35:44):
guys available to speak to the press. So I was
speaking to Eric win Alda and he was like, listen, man,
I'm gonna sound arrogant, but like, if you're a real player,
then like when the game starts, you feel fine. You
don't feel any nerves right like you could have. You
could have one of two reactions when you're listening to
the national anthem when you're on the field. You go,
oh my god, I hope I don't screw up, or
you go, hell, yeah, this is so freaking cool.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
I can't wait to the whistle blows. I can't wait
to play.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
It was like, I think we had seven of eleven
guys who were in the in that camp, and maybe
we had a couple on our team that was in
the first camp. He referenced you a few times, and
he puts you obviously in that second camp and spoke
spoke glowingly about his former teammate. But I thought I
thought it was it was funny the way that like
we all talk about nerves and like when all this
like yeah, listen, man, I don't want to sound arrogant,
but like you know, when when the whistle starts, you
(36:31):
don't feel.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
It, no, and you can. You know, it's actually a
great point because you can see it in the games.
You can see the way a player controls the ball
for the first time, whether they're actually in the game
or whether they just don't want to make a mistake,
and and you can pick those guys off right away.
But I think most players, especially in the game today,
where you know most players are playing for big teams,
(36:53):
are playing big games. I think they settle in a
game within the first couple of minutes. I don't think
there's any there's any concerns, certainly from our side, on
our team.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Yeah, I would agree. Looking forward to this game, we're
gonna dive into that a little bit more. We're gonna
make our picks. After this one quick break, we're gonna
talk about the Thursday and Friday World Cup matches, including
Mexico Canada. Yes, of course, the United States. Thank you
for listening to Inside American Soccer. Please rap the hubscribe
before we get your budgets. Welcome back to Inside American
(37:30):
Soccer tab. The World Cup starts this week, and it's
more than just the United States. So let's take a
look at the games that are coming up on Thursday
and Friday, and this segment is presented to you by
our friends at DraftKings Thursday afternoon in Mexico City is
where this tournament will kick off. It's Mexico, it's South Africa.
Tab What is your pick for this game?
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Well, this is I think this is gonna be a
great matchup to kick off the World Cup. Is you know,
a rematch of the twenty ten you know World Cup
when Mexico actually to play South Africa and they're World Cup.
I think, you know, Mexico looks solid at this point.
I think there's a lot of pressure on the team.
There's a lot of If you've been to the Esteco,
(38:11):
you've watched the game played at the Esteca, it's a
tough place to play. I think South Africa will have
a really tough time with this, not just because of
the environment of the crowd, but the altitude, the smog,
everything else that has to do with with playing in
Mexico City. You know, these games for opposing teams get
very very long after the sixtieth minute, and I think
(38:34):
South Africa will have a really tough time. I think
Mexico takes this two to one after winning two zero.
I think South Africa gets a goal at the end,
but I think this is Mexico's game.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Mexico are on a really good run of for him.
They just thrash Serbia five to one in their final
pre World Cup tune up. Serbia, I think we're well
off the pace. But Mexico's previous two friendlies were against
Gone in Australia. They won them both. South Africa I
think that they are a good tea. But Mexico at home,
I think I like to pick their tap. Later that night,
South Korea against Chechia.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Yeah, and I think that's an even matchup. Although I
have to say, you know, if you would have asked
me about South Korea about a year ago, I would
have had a much different opinion of the team I
thought they were about a year ago. They really look
like they were going to do something, like they were
really onto something special. I just don't see that the results.
Although they beat trinidat five zero, they beat El Salvador
(39:28):
one zero in the last game, they don't look convincing.
They're playing a European team that's very much used to
just getting all behind the ball encountering. They're hard They're
difficult to play against. They're coming off some some you know,
some decent results. They've been winning pretty much. They won
the last couple of games, but they come from the
(39:48):
playoff which was also tough and march, so they they've
been playing pressure games for a while. I can't see
South Korea beating Chechia at this point. I think I
think Checha takes this game one zero.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Ooh.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
I think I think a draw could be in play here,
but like a little like a little upset there. Friday afternoon,
we've got Canada, the second of the three hosts, to
kick off their tournament. They are playing in Toronto against
Bosia and Herzegovina. Bosnia came through the World Cup playoffs
to get to this stage, and I think both clubs
are looking at this game and saying kind of a
(40:23):
must win for each of them.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
I think they are, and they should. Actually, you know, Canada,
I've watched Canada play a couple of times. They're not convincing.
They're not giving away much, but they're also not creating much.
This is a tough game for Canada. For Canada, although
Bosnia is coming also from basically tying games, right, but
Let's not forget.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Let's not forget.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
They eliminated Italy, right, and and they played well when
they eliminated Italy. They that was our last big game
they've had to play. And if I had to just
judge them on that last game, they were superior to
Italy in every facet of the game. And I think
we have to we have to take that into consideration.
Having said that, they're not a team that scores a
(41:06):
lot of goals, they also don't give them up. I
think you have a pretty even match up here. If
I had if I had a call a result on
this one, I would say this is going to be
a one to one tie.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
And those were the two results for Bosnia in the
World Cup playoffs. They beat Wales and penalties after one
one and they beat itaien penalties after one one draw.
A couple of notes on Canada, Alfonso Davies conflicting information
on if he's available to play. He himself told a
radio show he wasn't, and then a couple of days
later he told local media he wanted to clarify what
he said, and he said he doesn't know if he's
(41:39):
able to play. So that's always interesting to have. I
think that one would go under the category of gamesmanship there,
particularly that sounds like the coach or the PR person said,
you're speaking to the media and you're walking that back
immediately and then moist bomb. Vito is unfortunately out of
this tournament. He believe it was a broken leg that
he suffered in the fall. He hoped that he was
going to get back for this. He hadn't played a
(42:00):
club game since then. Unfortunately he's not available to play.
And those I think are that's definitely the most important player,
and I think two of their most three or four
important players. So Canada aren't quite at one hundred percent here.
But tab the last one, the one that we've been
talking about this entire episode Friday night in Los Angeles,
United States. Paraguay, how do you see this one going?
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Yeah? I mean, I think with all the things that
we spoke about now, having spoken about the tenacity of
the Paraguayan team, how hard they are defending, I just
can't see a place where Paraguay is going to turn
around and somehow win this game. I'm not seeing it.
I think the best chance they have to win this
game is by attacking us up the middle. As quickly
(42:43):
as possible, because if I have to say, you know
what our weakness is, that would be our weakness. They
just don't have the manpower to do that. I'm not
seeing it. I think without inciso on the field, you know,
you're going to find so sub wide defending, you're going
to find out maron defending. I just don't think it
have enough to attack. I think the US will be
too much in this game and they will win this
(43:04):
game to zero.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
I think the US.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
Listen, I feel silly to say must win for tournament
where I said that there's much more room for errors
or room for mistakes and room to kind of recover.
But going into this game, Paraguay's best player is almost
definitely out in the United States a decent form coming
against that. Senegal win and listen, it's a home World Cup,
it's the opening game. With all due respect to Paraguay,
(43:29):
they are not an easy team to beat. But the
United States has to be arrogant enough to be walking
into this thinking, yeah, we're gonna win. Obviously we're gonna win,
like that should be the minds of the mentality. A
couple of notes on this. We're recording this Monday, morning.
After we're done, I'll be heading to training and we'll
be asking about Chris Richards, and we'll be asking about
Chris Richards every day leading into this game, So stay
tuned on social media for updates there. We don't have
(43:51):
a definitive one. Before the Germany game, he trained individually
for the first time tab I. We watched him go
through drills. He wasn't just standing off to the side
and they let him juggle and they counted it as
individual training.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
He was actually doing work. He was moving pretty good.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
But obviously there's no defenders around you, you know what
your movements are gonna be. So I don't want to
take too much into that, but it was better than
him not playing, So we'll see where that one goes.
How are you feeling in general looking ahead to Friday time.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
I feel good about it. First of all, just to
discuss a little bit the Richard situation. As I mentioned
the other day on the show, I think he's got
to play. You know, you gotta play the game. I mean,
go go talk to the coach and say, coach, listen,
I'm I'm ninety percent. This is good. Ninety percent is good.
I'm gonna give everything is ninety percent. The red's gonna come.
The rest's gonna come from my heart. I'm ready. I
(44:42):
gotta play this one. I can't sit out, so hopefully
Chris does that. And by the way, he's that kind
of kid, that kind of player, so he wants, he
wants to, and I want to, ye.
Speaker 2 (44:52):
I want to be clear.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
I have a pretty good source that he wants to
and he's been saying that since since the injury happened.
I'm good for the workup, I'm good. I think if
the game against Germany was a group stage game, I
think you would have fought like hell to be able
to play. So I would if there's a chance. If
there if it's just about managing pain, he's gonna play.
(45:13):
And I know that about Chris Richards. So we'll see
how it goes. And there's gonna be about a week
between these World Cup games, so you got plenty of
time to recover between games. But thank you for listening
to Inside American Soccer. That's it for us today. The
next time you hear from us, it'll be after that
Paraguay game. We're gonna break it all down. So please
let rate with you, subscribe whatever, you gets your podcast.
(45:33):
I cannot wait till the games to start. Thank you
again for listen to Inside American Soccer.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
We'll see us been basically.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
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