Futbol Americas: Chivas' Big Win + Mexican Players On The Move + Run It Back + MLS Predictions + In Case You Missed It

14:41Mauricio Pedroza:He didn't thank the Lord, though, did he?

14:44Alexis Nunes:I didn't hear that. Maybe he did. Just really quickly. That would have been sent to Jimenez.

14:48Herc Gomez:If I were to tell you Raul Jimenez scored a goal at the World Cup 1-1-0, what's the most likely scenario of how he scored his goal? Raul Jimenez? Yes. PK. PK. I told you right now, Santi Jimenez scored a goal 1-0, and they win a World Cup game. What's the most likely scenario for Santi Jimenez? Probably a fast transition like he did against Panama. Perfect. Perfect. If I told you that this player, Armando Gonzalez, La Hormiga, scored a goal in the World Cup. Anywhere. He scores all types of goals. Anywhere. From the spot. Built up. Counter attack. In the counter on a set piece. Yeah. He's that type of guy.

15:23Herc Gomez:He just senses the goal.

15:26Mauricio Pedroza:All right. Well, let's talk about the men in between the sticks, shall we? Malagón as well as Rangel. I know our Xhaka Hislop is not here to weigh in on this conversation right now. You have another goalkeeper. It's currently Carnival Monday in Trinidad, so Xhaka's probably 20 drinks deep. But let's talk about Rangel versus Malagón in this one. Yes, it is indeed. If you're thinking of the depth chart, Mau, for L3, who's ticking what boxes for you?

15:49Alexis Nunes:This is the easiest of the answers. That's Ángel Malagón. And the reason I was watching carefully at Clásico, I knew America was going to lose. I didn't care. I wanted to see competition between the goalkeepers. El Tal Arangel was nervous. El Tal Arangel was not transmitting any sort of confidence to the rest of the team. Malagón had some great saves like this. Look at him stretching all the way. And look at him, El Tal Arangel, who's making mistakes at the biggest of stages. And even, I was told...

16:25Mauricio Pedroza:But ultimately, you look like he got the clean sheet in a high-pressure situation at the end.

16:30Alexis Nunes:Not because of him. And America didn't lose because of Angel Malagón. And one final point. I have been told all along that El Tal Arangel is probably Ederson with his feet. Oh. Yes, that he... Oh my God, the way El Tal Arangel 70-yard long passes, the way he controls the ball with his feet. He was bad. He was bad. He was making mistakes that Angel Malagón wasn't. Angel Malagón has to be the number one goalkeeper from now on. Friendly matches, you name it. Angel Malagón should start every single game from the Mexican national team from now on, and let's stop with controversy in the goalkeeper position because there's none.

17:20Alexis Nunes:There's only one number one, and his name is Ángel Malagón. Hark, do you see that as clear-cut as Maura's?

17:26Herc Gomez:No. There's so much controversy with the goalkeeper position that the name Memo Ochoa is still being inserted into the conversation. That shows you the controversy that there is with these two novice players. So far, not for Javier Aguirre. You want to talk about Javier Aguirre?

17:40Alexis Nunes:Javier Aguirre hasn't named Guillermo Ochoa.

17:44Herc Gomez:But for all reports, Javier Aguirre's preferred goalkeeper is Tala Rangel. He doesn't like how Luis Ángel Malagón stays in between the pipes. He doesn't come out for those balls. He has a size issue. And as we've seen in the past with the Mexican national team, Malagón has a confidence issue. And a goalkeeper who lacks confidence is a problem. We saw the March window last March when they played the Nations League, the semifinal and the final, that Luis Angel Malagón became trending news worldwide because Thierry Henry criticized the Mexican goalkeeper. There is a controversy here. Whether we want to say it's Talarangel, who I think has a leg up in Javier Aguirre's mind over Luis Angel Malagón or not, the fact that till today, the name Memo Cho is being inserted into conversation shows you that there is uncertainty with both of these players.

18:36Mauricio Pedroza:I'm all for getting Memo Cho out there. What a legend. Mau can't stand it.

18:43Alexis Nunes:What league is he playing? Stop it. Chipre.

18:45Mauricio Pedroza:Stop it. Chipre. So does David Luiz.

18:47Alexis Nunes:Come on. Yeah. Legend. Is he going to start for Carlo Ancelotti at center back? They don't have to. They don't have to pay taxes.

18:53Mauricio Pedroza:They don't have to pay taxes. So they're happier. So they're happier. Oh.

18:58Herc Gomez:I think Memo just celebrated his 22nd season as a professional. Who? Memo Choa.

19:02Mauricio Pedroza:Look at that. Wealth of experience. That's what you want at the high level.

19:06Alexis Nunes:I would go with Memo Choa as number two behind Angel Malagón, by the way.

19:08Mauricio Pedroza:Oh, jeez, man. I would rather get Rangel. All right, well, let's have a look at, as you guys were talking about, the work that Milito is doing with Chivas. These are the teams that have won the first six games. And shock, it has only been Chivas that is doing this. So I have to ask you guys, from what we're seeing from them, is there enough or what is Milito doing to show that this is sustainable long-term and not just a hot streak of the moment? Can I really quickly?

19:34Alexis Nunes:Are you going with the Morelia thing? Well, go ahead. Go ahead with the Morelia. So the first thing, eliminated by Morelia. Morelia, for those youngsters watching the show, was a very historic team in Liga MX that does not longer exist. Correct. Correct.

19:48Herc Gomez:That's right. That's right. Damián Álvarez and Marquez Lugo, they had a very good team. Well, Wiki. Well, Wiki. La Muertinha, I was going to say. If you know, you know. Really quickly, if you look, can we put the graphic back up just for a second? I'd love the graphic. That year they went straight off the gates, six wins in their first six games. And you see right there, Chicharito Hernandez, most goals in those six games. He had eight most goals. Gonzalez didn't win the league. Guess why? All of Chivas' best players left to go with the national team and didn't participate in the playoff system.

20:23Herc Gomez:Much like it'll happen again this time around. It's going to be a major issue.

20:27Alexis Nunes:How many goals did you have after six games? Me? Yeah. That's when you won the golden boot. Correct. Chicharito. I think I had...

20:36Herc Gomez:No. John Fano. Yohan Fano. Yohan Fano. I think I had three goals after six games. It's the back end where I had like seven goals in like six games.

20:45Alexis Nunes:Well, number one, there's no other Hercules Gomez chasing El Dormiga Gonzalez at this point. Well, there is. Joao Pedro. Well, yeah, but. I mean, does not come closer to where you work. Come on, man. Don't lower yourself to that level.

21:04Herc Gomez:This is why, look, they're the real deal. Chivas is the real game.

21:07Mauricio Pedroza:It's not just a hot streak.

21:08Herc Gomez:It's not just a hot streak. I actually really enjoy the way they play. They're dynamic. Can we go back a couple years ago when Velko Panovich's Chivas played in the League's Cup and we had Velko Panovich, El Pollo Briseño, their center back, the Mexican domestic player there, and they were saying, man, these clubs in Major League Soccer, they're very fast. They're very dynamic. The fields are whack. They play at a different tempo. That's what this Chivas team does. This Chivas team would not have a problem in that competition against those teams because they play that way, which is why you make other Mexican teams so uncomfortable.

21:43Herc Gomez:You saw America. Jordan Dos Santos is a very, very good central midfielder. He's played at the highest levels. Dorado is a very good Brazilian central midfielder. They look slow compared to Chivas' central midfielder. Chivas physically imposes their will on you, and they have kids who are hungry. This is a very well-worked team.

22:02Alexis Nunes:And you left out to me the biggest name of that game, Campillo. Yeah, the center back. Campillo was on. Who was not supposed to play. He was not supposed to play, and he was on Henry Martin all game long. And I haven't seen Henry Martin so frustrated with an opposing defender like he did with Campillo because Campillo would not let Henry Martin breathe. And that was a performance. I'm not saying Campillo should be named for the national team. Well, all reports say he will be. But at least Javier Aguirre needs to take a look. He has the personality. He has the size. And to Club America's captain, number nine, he made him look average, frustrated him.

22:49Alexis Nunes:And that was, to me, the performance of the night. Campillo, the center back for Chivas.

22:53Herc Gomez:Ken, can we, if it sounds like we're excited here about Chivas and the way they play, it's probably because we are and we've not seen Chivas play this way. Chivas goes on, and I say this with utmost respect, and Malice heard me just share the numbers. Their historical average of where they end up in league play is ninth, outside the top eight. So to see them right now as league leaders in a league that goes against their best interest, the rest of the teams in Liga Américas get to pick whatever foreign product they want, and they've got a wider net to cast in that ocean. They could only go Mexican talent.

23:29Herc Gomez:and that limits the type of player they can bring in. So to see them right now on top is a testament to how well they're being worked. At Cruz Azul, at Toluca, at Atlas.

23:39Alexis Nunes:Those are the next three games for Chivas. If they win two or three, they're for real.

23:45Mauricio Pedroza:All right, we will leave it at that because it's an exciting time indeed for Chivas. And it's always an exciting time to check out ESPN FC. The latest episode dropped today and the guys are looking back at all of the FA Cup and La Liga action from the weekend.

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25:59Mauricio Pedroza:Try MaintainX for free. Control the daily operations of your business and transform your maintenance program. Go to maintainx.com slash sports. That's maintain and the letter x dot com slash sports. Well, we're not done with Chivas just yet because they continue to strengthen as they welcome Jonathan Perez from MLS's Nashville. The 23-year-old who was a part of the LA Galaxy Youth System was confirmed last week, but he's not the only Chivas player with MLS background, though. It seems like Chivas has found MLS as a happy hunting ground to get some players. Look at that, building from abroad. So Jonathan Perez, of course, joins this list that includes the likes of Brian Gutierrez, Daniel Aguirre, et cetera, et cetera.

26:46Mauricio Pedroza:So is this something, nothing, or everything, guys?

26:52Alexis Nunes:Everything. I don't know why this took so long for Chivas to finally realize that there was a different market that they should have been attacking a long time ago. It was all the clubs, even in Liga MX, that were taking advantage of dual nets. And players that had a great start of their careers in Major League Soccer. Different system, if you will, but that were showing that they had quality. And again, well, I know why Chivas sometimes. The previous executives, the ones that are back in Spain right now, were not so fond on bringing those players because it wasn't good for their own, you know what I'm saying.

27:32But the point is, it took time, but they're here.

27:35Alexis Nunes:I love Brian Gutierrez. I think he's an amazing player. Even though he played at a different position with the national team, he came on as a sub against America on Saturday. I love Kate Cowell. When Chivas first signed Kate Cowell, I thought he was going to be great. And he had his moments. I just believe he never had the full trust of his managers. And it was hard for him to adapt. But it was a good approach by Chivas. Now they're going full on attacking that market. And they're doing a really good job.

28:11Mauricio Pedroza:Herc, why do you think they're finding MLS as a happy hunting ground now for players? Is it because they're viewing it as a bargain or they're actually recognizing that talent?

28:20Herc Gomez:Both. Both. Let's not ignore how much of a bargain they are. And let's explain to people why. I mentioned that they could only sign Mexican national team players. Well, every other team in Liga Mexicans understands this. So when they offer a player for sale, transfer a player to Chivas, instead of being$5 million, well, this player is worth now$8 million to you. If you want him, because we know you need him. and Chivas, who was in need of quality Mexican players, would oftentimes pay that. $40 million in a transfer window for the likes of Chiquete Orozco. No, excuse me. The one from Necaxa that he left.

29:00Herc Gomez:Oh, Chicote Calderón. Chicote Calderón for Alexis Peña, for Uriel Antuna. You know, the list goes on. And you're paying$40 million in a transfer window for these players. And you're like, wow, are they really worth this much? No, they're not. They're worth that much in this inflated market. So here's Chivas that's saying, okay, we have trouble in how we develop players. You saw right there the graphic with El Güero Real and how he did so well in 2010. He was a coaching director turned first team coach. And that class that he had or classes underneath him, they're no longer there. The well dried up when it came to development.

29:36Herc Gomez:So they have to go somewhere else because they've recognized they're not doing a good enough, fast enough job of developing players at the rate they wish they could they got to look elsewhere and in comes your Kate Cowles good flashes in comes your Efrain Alvarez very good player in comes your Richie Ledesma who maybe doesn't come directly from Major League Soccer but has a pass in Major League Soccer has a passport and you're saying wow this kid is now national team material they see now the value in getting these players early Jonathan Pettis is a very good player maybe not the player they're looking for right now but could be a player that grows into that and if you buy them right now for 3x tomorrow you could be worth 10x and that's the way chivas see that they see the opportunity with the mexican-american i mentioned how dynamic chivas is today when i was in liga mckis a lot of the executives that were in or around situations i was involved in would label mexican players um very technical but tactically undisciplined physically not willing to work these mexican-american players have a little bit of both tactical know-how of the mexican player like liga mequis but also have the drive the physicality of the major league soccer player and the ability to play at that type of tempo for gabi melito it's been excellent that type of player and you can see it on the field and the mentality it's a different mentality.

30:58Alexis Nunes:Players that went through the systems in Major League Soccer, the way those players are brought up to the higher levels is very different from Liga MX. Currently, Liga MX, if you look at what the top teams have done recently, America, when was the last time there was a product from the America Cantera that you went, oh yeah, this is a great player for the future. Edson Alvarez, maybe? Same with Cruz Azul, Tigres, Rayados, even Toluca. They've shied away from having their own farm system players make all the process to the first team and becoming regulars. Maybe because the system, well, it's been corrupt for so many years.

31:45Alexis Nunes:We all know that. But at the same time, when that system is not working, then you have to go look what your neighbors are doing. And they're probably doing it better. Take advantage of that. And that's what Chivas is doing.

31:56Mauricio Pedroza:In terms of from the player's perspective now as a Mexican-American player, is Chivas, you would say, the best platform now for this, or does it feel a bit of high risk?

32:06Herc Gomez:I don't think there's any risk for the Mexican-American here. I think it's a win-win. If it's a situation where you feel you can get playing time, you go to. This is a team that has the platform to get you on the national team. That's a reality. There are a couple teams within Mexico that if you're a starter, you're a star in, it's going to fast-track you to the national team. And Chivas is one of them. I think the risk is very minimal for the Mexican-American here. I think it's all win, if I'm being honest. It's what you do with it later on. Because when things don't go well at Chivas, like we've seen for a Uriel Antuna, Alexis Vega, or players of the past, you get shunned into a different type of light.

32:46Herc Gomez:I've not yet seen a Mexican-American shunned into that light. It's a big team. But I think it's a win-win for these players coming in.

32:54Mauricio Pedroza:Mau, you agree?

32:55Alexis Nunes:I agree, and I was also going to add that for these players, it's great that Gabriel Milito is their manager. Gabriel Milito spent a good amount of time under Pep Guardiola in Barcelona. They know how to deal with younger players shaping them until they are a true pro, and then maybe you'll decide if he's going to be good enough to stay or leave. but the fact that Gabriel Milito is the manager with this group of players, I think it's just a great mix. He knows exactly what he's doing. He has some veterans that really helped to the cause. Luis Romo is now hurt, but he was excellent for that compliment with the other players.

33:36Alexis Nunes:The two number six that played against America, Oso Gonzalez, Gobea, also experienced players. Gobea with experience even at the European level and then playing with Rayados. El Piojo Alvarado, also another experienced player. So that makes up players with some experience, the youngsters that are coming in right now, and Gabriel Milito as the leader, I think they're on the right track.

34:03Mauricio Pedroza:I was just looking at the time, and it took 31 minutes for Mau to make a reference to Pep Guardiola or Manchester City. Some things never change, right? All right, let's talk about Marcelo Flores, shall we? Because last week FIFA confirmed the one-time switch to Canada from Mexico for Marcelo Flores, the Canadian-born player initially committed to Mexico back in 2021. But the minutes with the senior team pretty much dried up since then. And now this means he's eligible for a call-up from, yep, Jesse Marsh for the World Cup. So once again, something, nothing, or everything.

34:40Alexis Nunes:Do you want me to go? Yeah, it is something. I've been on Marcelo Flores' bandwagon for a long time. I really hated the way Tata Martino handled his situation. I think he forced him out of the Arsenal youth system because he basically told him, hey, if you want to play in the World Cup, you've got to start playing at a pro level. He went to Oviedo in the second division in Spain. It didn't work. Then he came to Tigres and finally found his footing. But the way he was brought up in the national team, it's probably too early, and it was too much for him to handle. I think this is going to be a fresh start.

35:18Alexis Nunes:Jesse Marsh already made his intentions clear about Marcelo Flores and good for him. I wish him the best because I feel he can be an important player for the Canadian national team. I don't think he was going to ever become an important player with the Mexican national team. But let this be a lesson for other players in his situation. Your family are the ones that love you the most, no doubt. but not necessarily the ones that will make the best decisions for you. And I feel the way his dad and his family handle his situation. They put a lot of pressure on the kid, and it probably hindered his process a few years.

35:58Alexis Nunes:This is going to be a fresh start and good for him. I think he's going to do really, really well in Canada.

36:02Mauricio Pedroza:I love when Mao just drops some wisdom, some bars.

36:05Alexis Nunes:I'm a very, very, very smart man.

36:07Mauricio Pedroza:You are a very smart one. Very smart man. Kirk, what do you make of this situation then? Because is this everything for Canada's World Cup attack, or do you still see Marcelo in a situation where he's going to have to really fight for those minutes?

36:16Herc Gomez:Oh, I think he's going to have to fight. Yeah, I think Canada is a very talented team in terms of North American, you know, players and talents that they have. And that midfield or the winger position can be very crowded. They've got some guys that are rockets. They've got some players that could run and transition on you. And Marcelo Flores is a very good player right now. He's the leading goal scorer. But I think this is the worst team he could have gone to at an early age. That's not a team you go to develop. That's a team that you go when you're ready, when you're ready to be a star. Players, young players, that's been an elephant graveyard for them, Diggit is.

36:52Herc Gomez:So this is a player, and while I agree with Mao wholeheartedly, maybe was guided in the wrong direction and took the dollars instead of what was best for his development, is now finding himself in a situation where he's got to backtrack to get the development to go where he thinks he belongs. One, and two, fight for a World Cup. I don't think Jesse Marsh is the type of coach who's going to guarantee him something for switching or guarantee that he gets minutes. But Marcelo Flores, this version of Marcelo Flores that I see week in, week out with Tigres, I think can compete. I think has intensity, has talent and has the ability to fight for minutes with Canada.

37:31Herc Gomez:Whether he makes the World Cup team or not, I do not know. But it's something because I think they're both offering the opportunity to fight for that something.

37:41Mauricio Pedroza:Now, Mau kind of touched on it. If we look at this from the Mexico perspective now, he kind of touched on the whole handling of him. Do you think Mexico or certain coaches could have done better with this?

37:52Herc Gomez:Not just with Marcelo.

37:53Mauricio Pedroza:So that they probably don't look back at this and think, oh, this is one that got away. If you see him flourishing with Canada this summer.

37:58Herc Gomez:Yeah, not just with Marcelo Flores. It's funny because we see Obed Vargas right now playing for Atletico Madrid. Obed Vargas is 20 years old, and he's been there for about two weeks. Three games have gone by, and he goes 11 minutes, 21 minutes, 34 minutes. He's played every single game, and he's gaining more of the trust of Cholo Simeone. And there are going to be people who now are going to question whether he should go to the World Cup with Mexico at 20 years of age. He's good enough for La Liga. He's good enough for Cholo Simeone. He's good enough for Atletico Madrid. But I don't know if he can take this guy's spot who plays for Cruz Azul, Charlie Rodriguez, who plays for Toluca, who plays for Tijuana, who plays for wherever they may play.

38:39Herc Gomez:We don't know if he belongs there. Because of decisions like this, Mexico at this World Cup, because they did in 2022, will have zero players under the age of 25 with World Cup experience. That's a real stat. That's a real stat. That's a real stat. Zero players. Rafa Marquez is the assistant coach of this national team, and the project is for Javier Aguirre to ride off into the sunset after el sexto partido and give the keys to Rafa Marquez. You cannot give Rafa Marquez the assistant coach job with the promise of being the head coach and not usher in the new generation.

39:17Mauricio Pedroza:You have to.

39:19Alexis Nunes:His case was mishandled. We hope that Obed Vargas' case won't be mishandled. You know what other case comes to light now? Alejandro Sendejas. Alejandro Sendejas had basically one foot on the bus. Santi Jimenez. And now, I know Sendejas is injured, but he would have been a regular with the national team at this point. So, yes, Tata Martino. Tata Martino really hurt this team. If everything goes wrong in the 2026 World Cup, I'm blaming right now Gerardo Martino for the fracaso of the Mexican national team at the 2026 World Cup. Gloves up? Gloves up. No, I stopped fighting. I'm a lover now. He's a lover.

40:00Alexis Nunes:I'm not a fighter. I'm a lover.

40:01Mauricio Pedroza:He's not a fighter. All right, well, let's talk about everyone's favorite polarizing tournament, the Leagues Cup, shall we? Because officials have announced that they're finalizing details of having Mexico host some games in the next edition. And this will be for the fourth season, which will be across the entire continent after the World Cup. So is this something, nothing, or everything? because we've talked about this tournament so many times, especially with how it affects the Mexican teams and why they're not putting out the big displays against MLS teams that we would want to see. And many have said, well, it's because they don't get to play at home.

40:37Mauricio Pedroza:They don't get to play in front of their fans. So does this make it everything?

40:42Alexis Nunes:No, it's nothing. This is absolutely nothing. I love the way Leaks Cup phrased the breaking news, right? some games. What games? What teams? Can you imagine Juarez playing Colorado Rapids?

41:05Herc Gomez:No, no, no. I'll tell you. It's Toluca has a pair of games.

41:08Alexis Nunes:Who's going to play Toluca? Colorado Rapids?

41:10Herc Gomez:You think people will be interested in

41:13Alexis Nunes:Toluca playing the Columbus Crew? I think it's a total of six games, Mal. Three games Toluca. It doesn't matter. One game America. And one game each to those Regios. When are they going to play this tournament?

41:22Herc Gomez:Right after the World Cup? I don't know. In between seasons? Do you know what the problem is, Mal? And why it's not nothing? It's actually more than nothing. Something for you? It's a very big something. Okay. Because if I'm CONCACAF here, I'm saying, wait, what are we doing? So, hold on. I have Jorge Mas. I've got Liga MX executives constantly talking about Copa Libertadores. And now this tournament you guys made up in between yourselves, you're going to actually do in Mexico as well? so every day you're telling me my tournament the concave champions cup becomes obsolete because you want to make it obsolete that's why it's something the road you're going down and i agree it's it's ridiculous that they just label it some games it's six games in mexico three from what i read for toluca and then one one and one america and los regios it would it's it's as abysmal as sharing a World Cup with three different countries and 80 % is played in one country and the other 20 % is divided by two countries.

42:23Herc Gomez:It's ridiculous. It really is. It's ridiculous.

42:26Alexis Nunes:So this is because Mexican teams cried like babies. Why? Oh, we don't have any games at home. We are at a big disadvantage. Shut up. Play the games. Well, they were at a disadvantage, Val. They were not. They were not. Stop. Stop. Everywhere Everywhere America played, they were the home team. Everywhere. They're not at home. It doesn't matter. At this tournament, it doesn't matter. I was a big, big advocate for Leagues Cup. I thought it was a great idea. I thought it was going to be. Was or is? Was. Okay. I thought it was going to be the ground, the base for something bigger in the future. because I've always thought, in the end, League of America's Major League Soccer should fusion into this one awesome league.

43:18Alexis Nunes:Ten teams, one league. Ten teams, the other league. Let's play 38 games and let's see how it goes. But now, this tournament sucks. It's so bad. Makes no sense. Timing is never right. Teams do not give a you-know-what. So anything related to League's Cup in 2026? Forget about it. Forget about it. It doesn't. Let's talk 2027. After the World Cup, after when Major League Soccer brings the new calendar for the tournament, for the competition, then I might regain my interest. 2026 is, está vetado de la vida de Mauricio Pedrosa. Does not exist.

43:59Mauricio Pedroza:I think our producer Beto just said that we're applying for accreditation, so. Don't apply for mine. I'm not going. We might take the show.

44:06Alexis Nunes:I'm not going. Give mine to Jose del Valle.

44:11Mauricio Pedroza:I don't think we'll get approved after that anyway. All right, let's go to the clip that I think so many of us watched so many times this weekend. Julian Araujo scored a 97th minute winner for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership as Celtic beat Kilmarnock. And it's his first goal in seven appearances since joining them on loan from Bournemouth. And I mean...

44:35Herc Gomez:Good finish. Quality finish with his weaker... Good celebration.

44:38Mauricio Pedroza:At Kilmarnock too. The celebration is brilliant, the away fans are brilliant. I mean, I probably watched this clip many times. So let's hear from the man himself after this amazing moment. Julian, that's three games in a row, there's been late drama. How much belief does that give you as you go into some really important games? Yeah, you know, it's a game of football, you know, football that's 90 minutes, whether you get the goal in the first minute or in the 90th minute. You know, we've had late goals in the past game, recent matches, but we have to believe in ourselves. We do believe in ourselves and we have to maintain this confidence.

45:14Mauricio Pedroza:Like I said, every player matters whether you're on the bench or you're coming on. Everybody wants to give their best and I think you can tell that our spirit has been very high and we've just got to continue this way. Well, Julian, you've given us a moment that we will remember for a very long time. Well done again. Thank you.

45:30Alexis Nunes:Ask him about his first half performance.

45:35Mauricio Pedroza:Oh, brilliant stuff there. And he gets the approval of the gaffer. All right, so something, nothing, or everything. And it better be everything. Yeah, listen, it's everything because I'm going to go away from Celtic

45:49Herc Gomez:and what Celtic has been enduring and Julian going to a new team. I'm going to bring this into the Mexican national team. Fans don't feel good about Jorge Sanchez. that don't feel good about Kevin Alvarez. Rodrigo Huescas is on the mend. He's still injured. And you have Richie Ledesma and Julián Araujo, two Mexican-American kids who are on the outside looking in for a World Cup that are, in my eyes, very much on the end with an opportunity of not only going to the World Cup, but maybe being the starter, the right back for the Mexican national team at a World Cup. The very abysmal right back position has two players in very good form.

46:26Herc Gomez:So this is everything for Julián Araujo.

46:29Alexis Nunes:Yeah, I agree. I don't know if it's going to be too late, but that spot is wide open. Wide open. Eric just went through the list of names, and I don't think at this point any of them can confidently say, I will be the starter for the Mexican national team. It'll be Israel Reyes by default. It seems like Israel Reyes will be a right back, third center back, right? And when that has happened, it has actually worked pretty well. But Juliano Araujo needed minutes. He needed to play. He wasn't seeing any minutes at Bournemouth. Last season, apparently, he had the confidence of Hiraola, but then he got hurt, and then he lost his spot.

47:16Alexis Nunes:Then sometimes he wasn't even on the bench. But he has a shot. He has a shot. And the fact that he's getting minutes, I mean, the goal is great for his confidence. he's not going to be called up because of his scoring, but because of his regularity. Now, we'll see the next time Javier Aguirre, end of March, fecha FIFA, the reopening of Estadio Azteca against Portugal. That's probably going to tell us how confident Javier Aguirre feels with his right backs. If you tell me right now Julian Araujo will be in that roster, I would not be surprised. if that happens?

47:58Herc Gomez:I think it's one of the two. I think it's Richie or Julian. I think most likely it's going to be Israel Reyes. And for whatever reason, Javier Aguirre really seems to like Jorge Sanchez. So I think he's going to be in that mix.

48:14Mauricio Pedroza:Well, I think we can still immortalize that goal and the celebration. It was good to see. How many times did you watch it over?

48:21Herc Gomez:Probably 10.

48:22Mauricio Pedroza:Yeah.

48:22Herc Gomez:They're still in the hunt.

48:23Mauricio Pedroza:They are still in the hunt.

48:24Herc Gomez:I thought there was more people because you see where he celebrates in the stands. I thought there was more people in the stadium.

48:29Mauricio Pedroza:I think they all came down. The rest of the stadium was there.

48:32Alexis Nunes:That was the away stand, yeah.

48:34Mauricio Pedroza:Yeah, Kilmarnock wasn't very well-supported.

48:36Alexis Nunes:You and I have been to many of those games in England, Scotland. We haven't even told them. Come on. Jeez. Come on.

48:43Mauricio Pedroza:All right, well, Julian's former team is in action in La Liga this weekend. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Dropped some points already today, so they're going to have to make up for it when they go up against Levante. that's Sunday 10 15 a.m eastern time but remember to join us 30 minutes before for the pre-show on ESPN plus

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49:34Alexis Nunes:Some breakfast intel you want to know about. Kodiak frozen power waffles and flapjacks are built for busy mornings. Heat it, eat it, and you're out the door. No long prep, no complicated game plan. They're packed with 12 to 14 grams of protein per serving, a good source of fiber and crafted with 100 % whole grains, not refined white flour. So you're getting something that actually fuels you. And there's depth on the roster. Buttermilk and vanilla, blueberry, chocolate chip, even gluten-free options. Breakfast that delivers, snack that delivers. Find Kodiak frozen waffles and flapjacks in the frozen aisle at your local grocery store.

50:13Alexis Nunes:They're the ones with the bear on the box.

50:17Mauricio Pedroza:All right, it's that time again. A new MLS season is upon us. It all kicks off this Saturday. So it's time to put these guys to the test with some MLS season predictions. So we will see at the end of the season if we can still trust them and if they're really worth their very expensive paychecks. All right, let's start things off with Herc best signing.

50:41Herc Gomez:This one is an easy one for me, and he may prove me right, I think very early on, and that is Germán Berterame. Berterame is a player that we know very well here in CONCACAF, played for Rayados. Those of you in Major League Soccer in San Luis as well, they did a very good job of bringing him over from Argentina. Those of you in Major League Soccer that maybe haven't seen enough of Germán Berterame and want to know the equivalent of, Tati Castellanos, the player for NYFCFC that left, and then he played very well in La Liga. He's in Serie A right now, tearing it up. He actually scored not one, not two, not three, but four goals against Real Madrid when he was in La Liga.

51:14Herc Gomez:very comparable players. This guy with Messi pulling the strings behind him and that offensive juggernaut that Inter Miami is going to be once again is going to score goals and score a bunch of goals. He's going to prove Jorge Mas, he's going to prove David Beckham and Inter Miami, the brass, what a great signing this is.

51:32Mauricio Pedroza:All right, well I know you two are close so we're going to see exactly who Mau has chosen. Mau, you are going for Timo Werner.

51:39Alexis Nunes:Yeah, I mean I think, Bertramas seems to be the logical answer.

51:43Mauricio Pedroza:Yeah.

51:43Alexis Nunes:But I'm going with Timo Werner.

51:46Mauricio Pedroza:I love how you're giving a little bit of jump. Werner.

51:48Alexis Nunes:Timo Werner. Because for many years, we thought he was always on track to become one of the best nines in the world. Injuries, he underperformed at times as well. But that doesn't mean that at Major League Soccer level, we won't see the best of his potential. I think we will. and if you're a franchise like San Jose, at some point you gotta nail it and you gotta go for it and this is a very, very nice approach to tell the fans, hey, we're gonna bring in a star because we want to do better. I don't know how many goals Timo Werner is gonna score. I don't even know if San Jose is gonna become a contender just because of his signing but I'm very excited to see what he can do at this level, given that he's a very talented player.

52:37Mauricio Pedroza:Very talented player indeed. We will see if he can shine in San Jose. Next one, Golden Boot.

52:43Herc Gomez:I just talked to Herman Bertramen how he's going to play for an offensive juggernaut and he's going to have Lionel Messi behind him. And the only reason I'm not taking Messi here is because, you know, Messi's getting a little long in the tooth respectfully, physically, and he's going to save himself for the World Cup. So there's going to be moments where Messi's going to play not every game. And maybe that's health-wise, maybe that's them saving him, saving his legs for what's to come in the summer. And who's going to get the majority, the lion's share of those goals, the lion's share of those opportunities in front of goal?

53:10Herc Gomez:I think it's going to be, again, German Bertrami. I think this is just an easy one. Why would I say he's the signing of Major League Soccer if I don't feel he's going to explode? And if this player explodes, he's going to explode in a big way. And that's with goals.

53:22Mauricio Pedroza:Well, it's interesting that you say that, that you say that best signing has to kind of relate with Golden Boot. We'll see if Mau follows those principles because Mau is going for Germán Berterame.

53:33Alexis Nunes:His support system is just way better than Timo Werner. Simple as that. Especially Germán Berterame comes to a team that's already performing at the highest of levels. They're the champs. And when you surround yourself with players like Lionel Messi, Rodrigo de Paul, the stars, but also the supporting cast, he's going to shine. He's going to have fantastic seasons. So yeah, I think Germán Bertrami. And the other reason why I don't think Messi will win the Golden Boot is because of the World Cup. Messi maybe will see some load management, take care of his legs, take care of his physical ability to perform not only at Major League Soccer level, but also with the national team.

54:15Alexis Nunes:Bertrami is going to be the workhorse, and he's going to score the most goals in Major League Soccer. Now, if Bertrami is the best signing and the Golden Boot, he must be the MVP, right? It's funny because there's no other answer for it.

54:26Herc Gomez:When I saw best signing Timo Werner and then before the program started, he put down Germán Bertolame as the golden boot. I was like, how does that work? But I know where you're going with San Jose because San Jose has been historically an underperforming franchise. Terrible. They've had their early years in MLS 1.0. They've been so bad. They were doing very well. But John Fisher, that ownership group, has taken them into the gutter. And Bruce Arena. Yeah. Bruce Arena is trying to lift them up from that gutter. They've got their own stadium issues. They got their own on-the-field issues. They got their own academy issues.

54:56Herc Gomez:They got to do a lot more with what they have up north in California. But if Timo Werner can give that franchise some sort of life, I'll buy into how great of a signing he is.

55:04Mauricio Pedroza:All right, what about MVP then?

55:06Herc Gomez:What do you think I got an MVP? Mertelame.

55:08Mauricio Pedroza:I was going to say Mertelame again, but you have gone for him.

55:11Herc Gomez:Messi doesn't need to score all the goals to be the most important, the most valuable player in Major League Soccer. Messi has proven it. And I maybe ignorantly called him long in the tooth, and I say it respectfully, but every year he shuts us up. Every year he's on the field, he does what Messi's always done, the Messi magic, and I expect that to be the same way again. Now, this isn't just MLS Cup. For Inter-Miami, if Jorge Mas, and what he's saying is true, if they want Copa Libertadores, show us what they can do in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Show us how they can dominate in this region, and if we're going to, it's going to be with Lionel Messi.

55:49Mauricio Pedroza:All right, well, we'll see if Mau is agreeing on that one. Mau, who is your MVP? Leo Messi. Do we even need an explanation?

55:57Alexis Nunes:When he's healthy, there's no other player that can compete with Lionel Messi in terms of value for his team. And again, because of the World Cup, I feel he's going to be very, very careful in terms of how he takes care of his health. And he's going to perform. He's going to perform at the same level. And I feel the addition of Berterame probably taking some weight off his shoulders in terms of goal scoring. Now he's going to become this facilitator that he also excels at. And at this point, Lionel Messi is still the best player in the league by far. Now, my only question is, what's going to happen after the World Cup?

56:38Alexis Nunes:I want to see how motivated Lionel Messi is going to be. whatever the end result for Argentina is, I want to see how motivated he will be playing the second part of the Major League Soccer regular season. But I feel like if he stays healthy, nobody can compete with Lionel Messi in terms of value for his team.

56:59Mauricio Pedroza:All right, what about the next one? I think Herc already gave his away. You are saying Inter Miami for the support of the Shield.

57:04Herc Gomez:There's a hangover because he's happy. There's a hangover because he's sad. But there may be a World Cup hangover for Lionel Messi. but this team is just so stacked. Yeah, loaded. Listen, a pair of new Brazilians in the back line in the center midfield. You've got quality down the left-hand side. You've got a new goalkeeper in Dane St. Clair. You've reloaded. You've reloaded. You're rebuilding. You've got bigger and better, and you still have the prized possession in Lionel Messi. Javi Mascherano, he's going to have, I think, Just the majority of the points in Major League Soccer. Supporters' shield, I think they're going to be runaway favorites for Supporters' Shield.

57:43Herc Gomez:If I pick them for MLS Cup or not, that doesn't matter. Supporters' shield is theirs, and I don't even think it's close.

57:51Mauricio Pedroza:All right, let's see who Ma went with.

57:52Alexis Nunes:Yeah, at this point, MLS stands for Miami League Soccer, basically. They upgraded. They upgraded in so many positions on the field. I know missing Sergio Busquets is going to be big. missing Jordi Alba is going to be big. There's no other player that you can just replace Sergio Busquets with. But through additions of several players, Javier Mascherano is going to put this team on the right track to still dominate the East, win the Supporters' Shield. Now, playoffs, different story. And we'll see about our champion prediction. But the way Inter-Miami became an even better team in the offseason.

58:37Alexis Nunes:It's just fantastic. Now, they have to do it. They're opening a new stadium, and that's also important to tell the fans, hey, this is not only about... It is about Messi. Not only about Messi. We're going to bring all these players so we can be competitive and defend the title. That's why I feel it's an easy call just to name Inter-Miami the favorite for the Supporter Shield.

58:59Mauricio Pedroza:All right. Well, what about MLS Cup champion? Let's see if you guys are going to stick to that vibe. A little Miami vibe. And of course, he's sticking with the Miami vibe.

59:11Herc Gomez:Now, listen to what I am about to tell you. This is the first year.

59:14Mauricio Pedroza:This is Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami.

59:16Herc Gomez:The first year that I've chosen Miami, Inter-Miami, now really Miami, not Fort Lauderdale, to win it all. I've gone against Inter-Miami because there's no way they can pull this off. And then comes a transfer window, and mysteriously, they reload. Transparency is not a strong strength of those people out there, but they've done very well putting quality players on the field. This is a team now that is going to have the best players in the league. It's going to have the best coach in the league because he's proven that last year. Yeah, no more Wilfred Nance. I don't think it's a strong coaching league.

59:54Herc Gomez:He's going to have the best.

59:54Alexis Nunes:Hey, Tata Martino's back.

59:59Herc Gomez:MLS champ. MLS champ Tata Martino. Here's the thing with Inter-Miami. Jorge Mas, who pulled me aside at, what is the stadium in Miami called Hard Rock? Pulled me aside and said, you're the skeptic. You're the one who's always going against us. I'm going with you today. You that's going to open up Freedom Park. You that wants to play Copa de Libertadores. You that has a$1.4 billion franchise. It's got to be you now that takes this team to the next level with or without Lionel Messi.

1:00:27Mauricio Pedroza:All right, well, Herc's trying to force a move to Miami. We can see by that. Mau, who do you say? Give me something different.

1:00:32Alexis Nunes:Go for it. Go for it.

1:00:35Mauricio Pedroza:Oh!

1:00:36Alexis Nunes:LAFC. LAFC. Players are a different story. LAFC, they have been quiet this offseason. They're letting Inter Miami have their party. They're letting Inter Miami enjoy their parade.

1:00:47Mauricio Pedroza:They put up a good fight.

1:00:47Alexis Nunes:They're all business. The best front office in the league is LAFC. and it's a second season for Hyunmin Sun. Some experts have Hyunmin Sun winning the gold boot. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens, if he's the golden boot winner. But overall, playoffs are a different story and I feel like LAFC are going to load up again and become contenders. Not only contenders, I think they will be champions.

1:01:13Mauricio Pedroza:Alright, well I like Mao's picks, Herb, because he just went against

1:01:16Herc Gomez:Mark Dos Santos is the question mark there, the new head coach. A lot of experience.

1:01:21Mauricio Pedroza:All right. Well, those are the guys' picks. Like I said, it's going to be a long MLS season. You can see at the end if they know what they're talking about, but they do talk a lot, especially on the other show that these boys do, Ahora o Nunca, available weekdays on YouTube. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and hyaluronidase QVFC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way.

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1:02:36Mauricio Pedroza:Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Well, in case you missed it, talk about being a site for sore eyes. Neymar got an assist on his return from knee injury. He made his return for Santos in what was a 6-0 win for them. He played his first couple of minutes since having minor left knee surgery on December.

1:02:57Herc Gomez:Wait a second. He loses the ball and we're going to give him a assist.

1:03:02Mauricio Pedroza:Guys, guys, guys.

1:03:03Herc Gomez:That's the way fantasy works.

1:03:05Mauricio Pedroza:We're just happy to see him back. It's a World Cup year. Look, he's

1:03:09Herc Gomez:arguing the assist.

1:03:11Mauricio Pedroza:He's playing during Carnaval in Brazil. That's the first time

1:03:15Alexis Nunes:he plays during Carnival in the last 10 years.

1:03:18Mauricio Pedroza:Look at that.

1:03:19Alexis Nunes:That means he's committed.

1:03:20Mauricio Pedroza:Because you know who would never miss a Carnival?

1:03:21Alexis Nunes:He really wants to play in the World Cup.

1:03:23Mauricio Pedroza:Our Shaq and Isla, who is currently at Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago right now. Shaq and Isla invites us. He's out for the entire month.

1:03:30Alexis Nunes:Is he pulling a Carlo Ancelotti?

1:03:32Mauricio Pedroza:He's probably pulling a Carlo Ancelotti. Which means having a wonderful time. Yes, absolutely. As we love to do here on Football at Medi, because that's it for this edition, but we will see you guys again soon.

1:03:47Mauricio Pedroza:From 30 for 30 Podcasts.

1:03:57Herc Gomez:Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman from Miami, gunned down. The key to this case, it's Brian. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with somebody. This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. We can place them to arrest.

1:04:13Alexis Nunes:We had a killer amongst us. Murder at the U. Listen now.