Futbol Americas: Chris Richards is the USMNT Player of the Year

23:09Herc Gomez:It's funny because much like Gallagher under Cholo Simeone has been played out of position, so has Weston. We've seen Collard Gallagher play down the left-hand side. We've seen him play in different parts of the midfield. That could happen with Weston McKinney, but that's nothing foreign to him that he's already been doing for the last five or six years at Juventus. That's who he's been, and he's thrived. This is a massive club. No offense to the rest of the Premier League teams. Let's say it's a West Ham. Let's say it's a— Ooh, Shaq is going to take offense to that. No, I can't. But what I'm saying is this is one of the biggest teams in world football, one of the biggest teams in La Liga in Spain.

23:47We're talking Champions League.

23:48Herc Gomez:We're talking consistent Champions League. We're talking a different type of brand recognition. Then, respectfully, some of the mid-table clubs, that's generous, some of the mid-table clubs that are in the Premier League. And I kind of think it's the easy route, the Premier League, for Weston. I really do. I really did. And the producer's saying Man United, which is a low blow. First of all, very low blow. But he's right. But he's right. He is right. He is right. Well, like we said, it's two other Premier League clubs. We don't know which ones yet that are reportedly interested. But I want to talk about the price tag, Shaka, for Weston McKinney.

24:22We're hearing around 10 million euros or pounds thereabouts. Chump change. Chump change. It's a steal.

24:27Herc Gomez:Let's go 50-50 if you want to listen. Absolute bargain. What is a versatile playoff? Yeah, without question. Playing with confidence now, too. Now, the thing for me is what determines this really is Weston McKinney. The price tag is a stumbling block for nobody in European football, let alone a Premier League club. It comes down to Weston McKinney. And to Herc's point, whether you go from a Juventus, a European giant, albeit not at the heights that they once were, to what's your next destination. Weston, I'm about to sell Paqueta. There's an opportunity there. but that you don't leave Juventus to go to West Ham.

25:09Certainly not this version of West Ham. And that's the question. Is it a Leeds who have got English players and American players on their roster? Do they add to that? Again, you hold your horses and see how the rest of the season pans out. Things are looking really good for Leeds right now but that is a bit of a step down to go from a Juventus to a club like Leeds and even worse, this version of West Ham.

25:37Herc Gomez:Take away the extreme spending of Atletico two windows ago, when it was Julian, Sorlot, when it was Gallagher, when it was that type of player coming in, Lenormand. Those players, I would say, yeah, command a different type of price tag. The players who Atletico, this last transfer window, they almost spent as much. They almost spent close to$200 million as well. Baena, Thiago Almada, Johnny Cardoso, you know, that type of player, Henschko, that type of player, it's not like Weston McKinney's too far off. So I honestly think 10, 11 million is a bargain for most top teams in the world. No, I don't think.

26:18Herc Gomez:I know it's a bargain for most top teams in the world. Well, on Monday, you know, Herc, I had asked you what you would be doing or considering if you were in Weston McKinney's shoes. Shaka, if you were in his shoes right now, talk to me about the leverage that he would have. He's got all the cards. He's holding all the cards right now. Yes, sir. And again, you go out to contract. Nice position to be in. It's a great position to be in. You go out to contract. You make a decision there. In all honesty,$10 million is all but a free transfer. I mean, 10 million really. clubs pay$10 million in loan fees.

26:57Herc Gomez:And that's why it's$10 million, because his contract ends. His contract is up. So Juventus are thinking, let me just get something in, whatever I can. So Juventus best sell now then. Correct. They're absolutely, yeah, I'm going to guess at this point, have made their mind up that they're moving on one way from Weston McKinney, or he's moving on from them, whichever way. So the only opportunity to get some money in is to sell him right now. once February 1st hits, February 2nd hits, then he's going to leave on a free at the end of the season. He could sign a pre-contract right now and just say, he could sign a pre-contract.

27:32Herc Gomez:I'm playing, sorry guys, I'm playing this out, you get nothing. But it looks like Weston, I mean, we have to hear from Weston's camp, his representatives, I know there have been times that his representative, Corey Gibbs, who was an ex-teammate of mine, ex-Premier League player, ex-player for the U.S. Men's National Team, has come out on his social media, which he never does, and has literally said, this is a bold-faced lie. Weston doesn't want this. So we have to wait to see what is Weston's camp's posture on this. But it looks like Weston is playing ball with Juventus. It looks like he wants to leave Juventus with something, which is good to see.

28:07Herc Gomez:But this is a bargain. All right. Well, I'm pretty sure we'll be talking a lot more about this on more Football Americas. But if you want to see why our Shaka Heslop is always so immaculately dressed like he's ready to go to a wedding, It's because he has ESPN FC. With open bar. We are on seven days a week with an open bar. We don't do weddings without open bars. Come on. Come on.

28:33This college basketball tournament moment is brought to you by Marriott Bonvoy. Connecticut has won the Big East Championship. Fresh off winning five games in five days to win the 2011 Big East Tournament. The UConn Huskies enter the NCAA Tournament as the three seed in the West. including a 36-point performance by Kimball Walker in the Sweet 16. The run to the Huskies' third national championship was one of the most remarkable postseason runs in college basketball history. Marriott Bonvoy, where game day checks in. Evan Cohen here. Game day brings the excitement. Your stay should feel just as memorable.

29:07With Marriott Bonvoy, official hotel partner of the NCAA and U.S. soccer, you're connected to a portfolio of brands designed for how you travel. Some offer complimentary breakfast. Others give you room to spread out, space to stay productive, or extended stay comforts. So whether you're a traveling fan or part of the team, Marriott Bonvoy celebrates the moments that live on before and after the game. Marriott Bonvoy, where game day checks in. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery.

29:44They're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Do you know what the scariest sound to hear on the factory floor is? Silence. That means something somewhere broke. Production has stopped and now you're paying workers to wait while the team troubleshoots and fixes the problem. Finally, there's a proactive way to reduce equipment downtime thanks to MaintainX.

30:21MaintainX is the AI-powered maintenance and asset management system that brings your unplanned maintenance downtime to zero. MaintainX lets you build preventative maintenance schedules, manage work orders in real time, and access the data you need to make better decisions. 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. Right, well, another name that we'll be hoping that they are definitely on Mauricio Pochettino's team sheet at the World Cup this summer is Flo Balogun.

30:57He's got eight goals so far in all competitions this season for Monaco. And our Julian Naranz was able to catch up with him for a chat. Flo, thank you so much, man. It's been a long time since I've seen you. It has, for my pleasure as well. Yeah, it's good to see you, my man. Let's start with the most urgent, really, here. At Monaco, there's a league game this weekend, but let's talk about the Real Madrid game and the Champions League. What's when whatever you play, whoever you play for, whoever you are, facing Real Madrid must be special any time, right? Yeah, definitely, you know. Playing Real Madrid in the Champions League, it's the first time for me.

31:34I'm sure it'll be the first time for a lot of my teammates as well. but I think it's important we go there to try and qualify. We also have our objectives and it's not something where we're just going there to enjoy the experience. We feel we can get a result and against the big teams in the Champions League we've done well. But as you said, the opportunity to play at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid in the Champions League is wonderful so I'm excited. What's your assessment of the Champions League campaign? As you said, there were some really good games like Spurs here, for example, where you should have won and in the end it's frustrating because you dropped two points.

32:12There are other games where you went away, I believe, in tough situations and you won and you scored. So what's your assessment so far with that campaign? I think for us in particular this season, when we have the opportunity to play in the Champions League, it's almost like a reset. It's a new competition, you can feel the preparation is different. You're wearing a different kit in training and stuff. So for me personally, I really enjoy that. And, yeah, you know, the games are really, really difficult. You know, you're going to places that you usually wouldn't like when we was in Bordeaux Glimmt.

32:46You know, it's 2 p.m. It's already dark outside. It's cold. It's raining. So it's new experiences, you know. It gives us a chance to bond as a team. But, no, you know, I think every game in the Champions League is very difficult, but I'm really enjoying the challenge. You're very much in the mix for qualifying, which was the objective at the start of the season, whether it's straight into top eight or even through the playoffs, I guess you take that. Real Madrid and Juventus are away at home. There's not many bigger games than that to finish, right? Yeah, but the biggest thing is we believe in ourselves, truly.

33:21I think you'd be able to feel as a player if your teammates or the staff are nervous about this and they think we can't. But I think maybe for us it's even the opposite. against these bigger teams in the Champions League everybody has that motivation that extra belief and you know we've proven as you said against Tottenham in the Champions League you know we dominated a game and we was really really disappointed after the game you know everybody was angry that we didn't win this game so the same you know against Galatasaray we had a lot of chances even though we won you know we was disappointed that we wasn't more efficient in front of goal including myself so the the ambition is high and I I think we have a lot of belief going into these two games, we can do something.

34:07There's a change of manager half-way through the season, which is never easy. And it's not about comparing the old one and the new one. But what is it like now with Pocognoli? How do you feel personally? And how do you think that the group as a collective responded to him? With Poc, it's really been a new, fresh dynamic. I think he's a young manager. looking to establish himself as well, you know. He did fantastic things in Belgium. So when he arrived at the squad, you know, we had higher anticipations of him. We knew he wanted to play fluid attacking football. And, you know, as players, I think the most important thing is you believe in what the manager is saying.

34:50And, you know, we've seen it, I'm sure the fans have seen it at time when we're playing against Tottenham, you know, in the Champions League and we're creating maybe 15 shots, you know. With performances like that, you can believe in the way he wants us to play. But, you know, we're still not there. And I really do believe if we, you know, can get consistency, you know, we've been a bit unlucky with injuries and stuff. If we can get consistency within the team, I think we'll see the best of the coach and we'll see the best of us. Is he asking you something a little bit different than Adi Hutter used to do in terms of pressing maybe, the position that you can pick between the lines, stuff like that?

35:29Yeah, I think he's asking, you know, different things. You know, he's allowing me to play more my natural style. You know, he's making sure, you know, I'm in the right positions to score, to create chances, to assist my teammates. And, yeah, for me as a striker, you know, I'm enjoying it. Also, Kevin Morales, you know, his assistant, he's been really, really helpful. You know, after the games, you know, we'll go through the chances. and it's a lot more easier for me to be able to perform when you're under two coaches who have both played also in their career. They understand what you're going through and they understand just the game because they had the experiences.

36:15Talk to me about your season. Are you happy right now? There's a really good run of form, big goals as we mentioned, decisive goals which is what you want. Are you happy or do you still feel a little bit like I need more, I need to do more, which is always your mentality, I know, but right now is a good time for you. Yeah, you know, I've been at Monaco three years, you know, and I say this has been one of my most consistent times, you know, playing a lot, injury-free. And yeah, I think, as you said, I've scored decisive goals. So for me, you know, as a striker, that's important. But for me, you know, there's still that feeling, you know, I still even reflect on the Tottenham game, There were a lot of chances I had and if you score these goals, it allows you to be in a more comfortable position going into the final games.

37:03In this level of competition, you have to be ruthless. So, yeah, there's still that little bit more I want to do. You know, we're kind of halfway through the season. I still have expectations of myself. And yeah, I would say, you know, I'm happy to be healthy, to be playing week in, week out. But definitely, you know, I want to achieve more. We said this is a very important second half of the season for you, just to get that level that you want to reach. It's a big year, obviously, because there's a World Cup at the end. Are you allowed, do you allow yourself to think about it already, or it feels long, long, long way?

37:42Yeah. A bit of both, you know. In the beginning of the season, you know, for me, it's like, I know how long a season is, you know. You have so many games, you're playing in three or four competitions, so you don't really even have the time to kind of think about it. But, you know, I'm on social media like everybody. I was there. I was scrolling maybe yesterday, and I saw, like, it's less than five months away now. So when you see things like this, you know, you, of course, realise that it's coming close. But I said before, you know, this is my first World Cup. You know, it's in my country, you know.

38:19So I'm just excited. I'm just, you know, I don't know what to expect. I'm speaking to the players, like their experience of a World Cup and they just say, like, it's the most amazing feeling any footballer can have. So I'm looking forward to it, but I can't even have any expectations because I don't know what to expect. But, you know, at the same time, the most important thing is to go into the World Cup in the right way. You know, if you have a great season, then it becomes easier. If you're doubting yourself and you didn't achieve your goals, it's going to become harder. What is it with this squad of US main national team players?

38:54How do you feel in that group? How do you feel the group is? It's a young group, it's a young squad with a lot of players playing a bit everywhere. Is it difficult or you've been together for quite a while now? Yeah, we've been together for a while, you know. As you said, we're a young squad and I think when I first came, you know, it was a bit difficult because we didn't really have that consistency. but I think now you're seeing with Pochettino, you know, we're starting to have a bit more consistency. You know, the last window, you know, it was a strong performance against Uruguay and Paraguay.

39:30So, yeah, you know, that's also maybe the consistency we're looking here in Monaco, you know, when you start to get the foundation. So I feel we have that now in the US. And, yeah, you know, I'm looking forward to the competitions in March coming up and just to be back with the team, you know, everybody there is like a family. And as you said, you know, when you're a young squad, you can easily relate to each other. And it's a talented squad. I guess the question then is expectation. What is the expectation for a young squad like this at home workup? Because the Americans aim quite high usually in every sport, right?

40:06Because they're so used to winning and everything. Yeah. Do you feel that pressure a bit? I feel the pressure, you know, But, you know, pressure is the reason also I'm in this position. You know, you're not going to be in such a position where you don't get any pressure. So for me, it's, you know, it's something to embrace and something, you know, pressure can go two ways. If you do well under pressure, you know, you're congratulated and praised. And if you do bad, you know, you're forward. So you can't take it too personally. You have to take the good with the bad. But as a team, we can appreciate we're underdogs.

40:41The USA is not really, in terms of football, they're not people that you associate with football automatically. But the belief internally is that we can really, really go all the way. We have a strong squad and as I said, we have a manager now who's given us an identity, given us belief, so there's no reason that we couldn't go all the way. Talk to me a bit about Poch and your relationship with him and you think the relationship of the squad and the work that he's done. Because it hasn't been always easy for him there. Yeah. I think, you know, in the beginning he was also like understanding the process.

41:18It was new to him. Similar with me, you know, when you come, when you like, you've kind of developed yourself in Europe and then you're going to America. It's really different. The way they even prepare for a football match, you know, it's more of an event. the fans maybe like they're coming to have a good time you know whereas in Europe you know the fans are coming to kill each other to support the team so I think he it was just a different environment but now you know he's more used to it and you know he's a top top world-class manager so now the the work he's been doing is starting to show and it's a perfect time getting closer to the World Cup so yeah he talked a lot about that mentality that you mentioned and how he need to change he and you guys need to change that.

42:02You felt it as well for you coming from Europe as well to play that? Yeah. And, you know, Poch has done a really good job because he's, as the World Cup's getting closer, you know, he's making the feeling within the team, like nobody knows who's going to be getting picked. So, you know. That's what you wanted, right? Yeah, that's what he said in the beginning. And I'm seeing that. So, you know, of course, the best thing I can do in my head is just to have a good season with Monaco and then when I see the team in March, you know, I have to perform. So that's the feeling of myself, but I'm sure that's the feeling of the other players and it's good for the team.

42:40The objective, I guess, coming out of the group, that's a given, really, and it's a decent group for you. And then it's game by game, but it's almost another competition that starts, right? Yeah, you know, it's ruthless, you know. It's a knockout football. You lose, you go home and anybody can lose on any given day. So, yeah, as you said, you know, the initial aim, of course, is to get out of the group. But then, yeah, as you said, after this, another competition starts. You know, when we were kid and we were growing up, right, and we were playing, and it's all about the Champions League and the music, right?

43:13And the World Cup and wearing that shirt and the National Anthem and, you know, whatever you do. That's you, bro. This is like Real Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League, the music, the Ben Abeyu, Kylian, blah, blah, blah. And then in four or five months' time, it will be that. Yeah. No, it's true. It's one of those dreams that we have when we grow up. Yeah, it's true. I have to remind myself to embrace it, to be in the moment. You don't want to look back on your career and think I was so focused. I didn't really realise that I was achieving my dreams. So, as you said, it's an accomplishment to even be at the Bernabeu, playing against Ramburgi in the Champions League.

43:51This is the highest competition in club football. But I think just at the same time, the way I am, it will be a better accomplishment to score there and to win the game. So it's the balance between embracing it but also still having the ambition.

44:08All right, our Julian Laurent's there getting the big interviews. I was waiting to see how long it was going to take for the Frenchman to mention the Frenchman in Kylian Mbappé. Took almost 10 minutes, Jules, but fair play there. All right, so Flo Balogun, sounds like he's saying all the right things now. And, of course, he has been playing with a bit more confidence this season, eight goals and non-competitions for Monaco, Herc.

44:29Herc Gomez:Yeah, he's scoring not only for club but also for country. He's scored in Champions League. He's scored regularly in Ligue 1. He's scored in the Copa France. He seems to now feel comfortable in his own skin at Monaco, and it's translating over to the U.S. men's national team, so much so that we could have discussion about the striker pool and it would start and finish with Fallon Balogun today. That's the only constant. and that's the only assurance or guarantee that we would have. We wouldn't know who the number two is, the number three, let alone if anybody can compete to get into that third, fourth, I'm a different type of profile striker player at the World Cup.

45:04Herc Gomez:For my money, he's the number nine for Mauricio Pochettino, and you can not only see it in the way that he's putting the ball in the back of the net, but in the way he connects with the most important, excuse me, in the way he connects with the most important figures and pieces on this team, which is Christian Pulisic, And we've seen him in the past and how well he combines with a creative player like a Giovanni Reina. So right now it's his position to lose. I couldn't agree more. Listen, I felt that you've seen the best of Florian Balogun at club level for quite some time. You know he's a good finisher.

45:34You know he's a good footballer. But that somehow has never translated to performances with the U.S. men's national team. Up until the last international window. Where I thought he was just simply outstanding for Pochettino. not just in terms of going forward and connecting with those around him, but in terms of the work that he did on the other side of the ball as well. I thought you saw as complete a performance from Florian Balagan as you've seen from him in any US Men's National Team shoot and, dare I say, any club shoot. And I have been a fan of his sitting at the club level for some time.

46:14He has made this spot his own. And I'm not sure if he turns in any similar performance come March, there is no shaking him come December.

46:25Herc Gomez:He's got a skill set that's very difficult to find in any player pool. He's a nine that has the ability to be a presence, to combine, but also knowing the way the U.S. men's national team will have to play at the World Cup when they play against better opposition. He needs to be a player that can create his own shots, create his own space. He has that physical ability about him, and he has the IQ in between lines in the final third of combining with the team's best. He gives you the best possible outcome of all the strikers right now that are in actual contention, and I'm talking about Haji Wright.

47:02Herc Gomez:I'm talking about Ricardo Pepe, and potentially right now, Patrick Aghiman. I can't even mention Josh Sargent right now. I can't even mention Brandon Vasquez right now. I can't even mention somebody who's not been part of the program like Daryl Dika right now. It's very limited. Shaka, just, of course, speaking about Flo Balogun here, do you feel like he is peaking at the right time? And if so, is it what we're seeing enough? Because when we keep talking about this U.S. men's national team, I mean, they're not just looking for the eight goals. We're talking about double figures right now. And the question is, yes, what we're seeing is positive, but is it enough to meet the ambitions of this U.S.

47:41men's national team at a home World Cup? The question becomes, what are the ambitions for this U.S. We're talking about quarterfinals at least, right? Well, I think. I think it's the best case scenario. To your point, I think there's an expectation by U.S. soccer fans, right or wrongly, that this team at least gets to a quarterfinal. If this team doesn't get to a quarterfinal, the World Cup will be seen as a failure. I think there are some feelings in certain quarters that this team can get to a semifinal. To what? To a semifinal. I do not. You don't think so? I don't. I think there's an expectation from a U.S.

48:25soccer fan base that this team is good enough to get to a semifinal. Fans can feel that. I don't subscribe to that. But what that does, and the point I'm making is that puts a lot of pressure on this team to perform, to dominate a group in which, in those shows we did immediately after the draw, I made the point that all four teams in that group will think they can get out of it. So even that is not guaranteed. So there's a lot of pressure individually on these players to perform at a level that the U.S., I don't think, has performed before. And I'm not sure that this team is as good as some of the very good U.S.

49:16teams we've seen in the past. And, Herc, I know it's a lot of pressure to put just on Flo Balogun. But I'm saying when you're looking at your big linchpin up front, I mean, and don't fight me down for this comparison. but you're looking at someone like an Erling Haaland, where you're just like, this is the kind of man we need up front that, trust me, once I get you the ball, I know it's going in the back of the net. Is he that man?

49:37Herc Gomez:No. But they're, you just named Erling Haaland. He's becoming that man. I know, of course, not Erling Haaland, but at least as a Mr. Reliable. Very quickly, is the U.S. men's national team more than Morocco? No. No. Are they more than Morocco? No, they are not. Who is the starting nine at the World Cup for Morocco? From Morocco? I can't remember. Let's go. There you go. You don't need him to be that man. Okay. You need this team to defend like crazy. You need this team to be pragmatic. You need this team to be opportunistic. You need them to play to their strengths, which are in transition, to have very special players in tight spaces and moments of speed, and to have a player who takes his chances like a follower in Balogun.

50:19Herc Gomez:Will Foller in Balogun be in contention for the Golden Boot at the World Cup? I guarantee you he won't. No. No, but he doesn't need to be to be an effective player. Now, I don't want to get into the group, but it tells you something when the Australian coach is cheering. He's celebrating that they drew that group. Okay. As far as what Shaq mentioned about the semifinals, while I agree, there is a part of the fan base that is diluted enough to believe that is a possibility. Essentially, this quarterfinal is the old semifinal because you have now more games and more phases. is if you would before, okay, look at Morocco.

50:57Herc Gomez:I just mentioned Morocco. Morocco, their group, very difficult group, I thought. Canada, they won World Cup qualifying the cycle in CONCACAF. Croatia, World Cup runner-up. Belgium, it was their golden generation. And then they got out of that to face a Spain, a Portugal, a France. Now, after that, France, if they did beat them, add another top team to that. That would have been their semifinal. So this essentially quarterfinal is now their semifinal, which is why I think it's the end of the line. If all goes well and they qualify as a first place, and if all goes well and they beat Belgium and Spain does first place and beats who they need to play, they will face each other in that quarterfinal.

51:39Herc Gomez:I don't think there's anybody on earth right now who's picking the United States. Is it impossible? No, this is a game and we've seen crazier things. But certainly you are not. It's not a gimme. It's not, hey, before we even know who we're playing, that's the goal of semifinals. I think you need to go down just not too far from here in Hartford, Connecticut, and have a visit to the American Outlaws there. They'll tell you semi-final or final or bust. I've got some beachfront property in Cleveland in any show. Oh. All right, well, if you want to see more from Julian Leron's best lead, he's on his other show.

52:12Not quite right there because, of course, he was doing this interview, but the Gab and Jules show a fresh episode dropped today, so check it out. avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is with thumbtack you don't have to be a home pro you just have to hire one you can hire top rated pros see price estimates and read reviews all on the Thumbtack app. Download today. Quick time out. Some breakfast intel you want to know about.

52:51Kodiak 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. They're the ones with the bear on the box.

53:30Score more with the college-branded Venmo debit card and earn up to 5 % cash back with Venmo Stash. Got paid back? With the Venmo debit card, you can instantly access your balance and spend on what you want, like game day snacks, gear, tickets, and more. The more you do, the more cash back you can earn. Plus, there's no monthly fee or minimum balance. Sign up now at Venmo.com slash college card. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. Select schools available. Venmo stash terms and exclusions apply at Venmo.me slash stash terms. Max$100 cash back per month. All right, let's run it back, shall we?

54:05Julian Quinones. He scored not one, not two, but three goals in the Saudi Pro League yesterday. Yes, Mr. Hat-Trick hero, his 16th goal of the season. Herc, I believe it was you who tweeted that he actually has more goal involvements than games so far in the Saudi Pro League. Adam, just looking at these goals, talk to me.

54:26Herc Gomez:That is 50 goal involvements, goals, and assists in 48 games in a league where you have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, So you have Benzema, you've got some very good players, and Julian Quinones does not stop finding the back of the net. Chaka, you would have saved any of those? No. Oh, don't sell yourself short. No, but those are some pretty solid goals right there. And there you can have a look at his stats, as Herc was saying. So many goal involvements in terms of goals and assists in just 48 matches at Alcadesia. And I mean, so much so that he is now garnering interest not too far from where he was actually born.

55:11He was born in Colombia. Of course, he plays for the Mexico national team or should be, as some would be saying. Now reports are suggesting that he could be linked to a move to Brazilian giants, Flamengo. Would that be a good move?

55:28Neither here nor there.

55:29Herc Gomez:Well, I'm not going to sit here and presume that the Saudi Pro League is at an extremely high level. I happen to think the Brazilian League is a very, very good level. Outside the top five, we could certainly say, make a case, it's inside the top ten in world football. The Saudi Pro League is not. But you won't find the type of players in the Brazilian League that you're going to find in the Saudi Pro League. You're not going to find the same type of money that you're going to find in the Saudi Pro League. What you will maybe find for Julian Quiñones is maybe a league that the coach, Javier Aguirre, the national team coach, respects a little more.

56:07Herc Gomez:He's been on record. And that's the ultimate goal right now, at least for the next couple of months. It should be. It should be. But Javier Aguirre maybe ignorantly has been on record. I don't watch it. I don't know it. I don't value it. That simple. I don't know if he watches any South American leagues, but certainly we've seen this at the Club World Cup. South America was a formidable, not one, multiple teams with formidable opponents to European competition. It's a stepping stone to bigger and better for the rest of Europe. And some of these players are very, very good players. He could certainly do worse than the Brazilian league.

56:42Herc Gomez:I just find it in terms of where he's at right now, a lateral movement to the rest of the world. But if he's strictly thinking World Cup, maybe this is what he needs to get himself back on those good graces. Because if we look at the Gold Cup, come big time games, the quarterfinal, semifinal and final for the semifinal and final, he was in the stands. He wasn't even in the roster. So he needs to do something. Chaka, if he does make the move from the Saudi Pro League to the Brazilian League now, and again, taking into consideration what Herc's saying, the fact that if he's thinking of it strictly with the World Cup in mind, does this feel like a step forward or a step backward?

57:19I'm not sure. And I say that because I'm trying to take this Flamengo project into context. Already linked with Paqueta, a move from West Ham to Flamengo, again, as part of that project. Paqueta probably would work up on his mind and sees that as a viable move to keep him in Carlo Ancelotti's plans. so now Quinonez probably thinking or at the very least probably being sold quite similarly join Flamengo this project that we're on and six months and what all that that could mean in leading up to to the workup so that for me is just kind of seeing what Flamengo are doing or or reports suggesting will be done by by the end of January in terms of in terms of who they bring in or the caliber player that they're bringing in.

58:09Quinones probably fits into that. I think Quinones and Paqueta also will complement each other in the way that they play. So there is a possibility here that he's seeing this as a viable stepping stone in much the same way that Paqueta is, given where he is currently and what he hopes to be doing in the summer or how he hopes to figure for Ancelotti.

58:31Herc Gomez:I don't know. Now, I have a tough time gauging the two leagues because if I'm thinking the ultimate goal is to play at the highest levels of Europe, of what will get you there, I almost feel like they're on par of what will get you there, if that makes sense. We've seen big players. John Duran had his choice. He went for the money. He went to Turkey. But certainly there would have been teams across the big five who would have easily brought him on if not for the price. Not for what he makes on a weekly basis. I don't know if being at Flamingo, and look, it's a very well-coached team. They just won Libertadores.

59:05Herc Gomez:They're certainly going to have a say in the next Club World Cup. But I don't know if it's on par as being seen every day in a league with so many European powerhouse players against the Benzema's of the world, the Cristiano Ronaldo's. I just think it's maybe a quicker avenue to get to Europe. But if you're strictly thinking the World Cup, I think in Javier Aguirre's eyes, maybe this is easier for him. Can I just say, Arshaka Hislop, doing his research, look at him already talking about link-up plays potentially between Quiñones and Paqueta. I mean, what does Arshaka not know? How to score a goal, that's one thing.

59:43All right, let's continue talking about El Trijimo. You're a goalkeeper. Well, the first Mexico squad of the year has been announced for the friendlies coming up in January against Bolivia and Panama. Now, since it's not an official FIFA date, players at European clubs, of course, are not featured like Raul Jimenez. But a whopping eight players, Herc, from Chivas got the call. So any surprises for you and any major snubs?

1:00:10Herc Gomez:Excuse me, you say eight players? Yeah. Is Chivas la base de la selección now? Or are they the base of the Mexican national team? What year are we in? Producer Beto is rolling around right now having a good time. This is why he wanted us to talk about it. This is exactly why. By who's confident? Excuse me. By surprise. Honestly, there is nothing relevant about this list. If not, if not in my eyes, for the Mexican-American players who are on this list and the one who is not, you have Obed Vargas, who had himself a very good U-20 World Cup and keeps making waves. He had himself a good Club World Cup.

1:00:50Herc Gomez:And people in Mexico, all the networks, they have mentioned his name, but they don't quite know who he is. So maybe it's a good idea to bring him in, get his feet wet, so the rest of the world can see him. And then it's Brian Gutierrez and it's Richie Ledesma. The guy who's not here is Efrain Alvarez, who for my money was probably the guy who deserved this opportunity the most. He's been the most consistent player, one of the most consistent players in Liga and Mequis domestic players in the last year, from his time at Cholos to Chivas. But these Mexican-Americans and Brian Gutierrez is a guy who has two games with the U.S.

1:01:23Herc Gomez:Men's National League. They were both January friendlies with Marisa Pochettino. And then, thanks for coming. He's 22 years of age. He sees an opportunity. He started off on the right foot with Chivas this season. Chivas is 2-0. And when Chivas does well, people in Mexico pay attention. And Richie Ledesma, who I thought was one of their best players last year, playing in a position of need for the Mexican national team as a right back. Now he plays as a wingback for Chivas. That could be something that I don't think would be a detriment, but it would be something to keep an eye on. But he's played for PSV as a right back, so I don't think it's an issue.

1:01:58Herc Gomez:But both of these players are cap-tied with the United States, and both of these players will need to file a one-time switch. So it remains to be seen if they can even play in these January friendlies. But I'm very interested in why Javier Aguirre called them up. I am. Well, I think you have friends in high places. You probably have a Vasco's number. I do. You are in high places. Oh, bueno. I'm right next to Shaq. Literally high. Literally high. All right. Well, another name that's missing on that roster is Chucky Lozano. And this is a story I wanted to get to because Chucky Lozano has actually ruled out a move from San Diego FC despite reps from the club earlier this week saying publicly that he's no longer a part of their plans.

1:02:45Now, if you remember, Coach Mikey Barras even said that he's just not the right fit. But now Fabrizio Romano is saying that Chucky is not willing to entertain offers during this transfer window. So, ooh, it is the novella that keeps on giving. Herc, who caves first in this one? How do you see this ending?

1:03:07Herc Gomez:You know what's very surprising is the way this all went down. I'm not buying it was just a locker multiplication of I didn't like that I was substituted at halftime in this game. And I let it known. And that was it. That stuff happens all the time. I've seen that happen all the time. I've never seen this type of reaction. Shaq, if you have, let me know. But I've never seen this type of reaction. He was in the most important game of the regular season, MLS Decision Day. Left off the roster. They needed to win. They won. Next game, it wasn't like, hey, you're not going to start. He wasn't on the roster.

1:03:45Herc Gomez:Slowly gets integrated into it. And then first day of camp, it's the sporting director and the head coach saying from the top all the way down, we let him know he's not welcomed here pretty much. And thanks for coming. And then the tweet by Fabrizio Romano of Chucky Lozano has no intentions of going anywhere. Mikey Virus, who, by the way, after this whole Chucky drama a few days later, was extended. His contract was extended. Had this to say. He was on 97.3 The Fan, a radio show in San Diego. Irving will not be part of our plans. We've made that very clear to him and his representatives. That will not change.

1:04:27Herc Gomez:So he doubled down. I'm sorry. All right, Shaq, help me understand how this is just a I wasn't happy with my substitution moment. And we got here because I don't buy that a guy that makes seven point six million dollars was asked to go away because he wasn't happy that he was substituted. There's much more to this. And because I think there's much more to this, the club's not backing down. And Chucky Lozano has really two choices. I go with the money or I go with what gets me to a World Cup. And it's really up to Chucky Lozano. Listen, I agree. And to that point, while I'm with you, there's a whole lot more to this that clearly we are not privy to.

1:05:16To have as highly placed officials at football clubs come out and say a strongly worded statement as that suggests as much. The thing for me is you have two highly placed officials come out and say that. Now, Chuck Lizana is right. I'm going to hold my ground, at least for the time being. Because if you say, you're going to have to pay me up. If you are determined that I go, you're going to have to pay me up. And then right now, it's a little bit of a waiting game between now and the start of the MLS season. Whether they do pay him up or how significantly they pay him up. But he's not going to be out of pocket as of right now.

1:05:53And so he can, Chukulisano, if he plays this well, can have his cake and eat it too. Can get his money, can find himself somewhere else on some other roster that maybe suits his talents a little bit better, and all of a sudden he's in the showcase for the World Cup. But it's a delicate line that he has to toe. What would you guys do then?

1:06:17Herc Gomez:Well, in a normal circumstance, if I'm the player, pay me my money. Yeah. But this isn't a normal circumstance. He's 30 years old, and he's got a high probability, if he's playing, of going to another World Cup. That is quite a carrot to dangle in front of a player. Yeah. And there are careers and there are legacies. Chucky Lozano has not been the same player since he scored his goal in the 2018 World Cup against Germany. But he could change that by scoring a goal at home in Estadio Azteca in your home World Cup. There is a legacy that can be made for Chucky Lozano. I don't think this is a standard because I'm with Shaq.

1:07:00Herc Gomez:Normally, pay me my money. But I think San Diego is fine with saying, take your money, just leave. Because I think Major League Soccer, the clubs have been designed for this. In their CBA, in those contracts, each team has the ability to absorb two contracts. So they already know we pay somebody to leave. That's part of what they do, their model, what they're doing now. That is a very, that is kind of, we've seen it though. We've seen the LA galaxy take the same type of player, a very popular, a very popular Mexican player in Giovanni dos Santos and say, go take your money. Take your$6.5 million.

1:07:42Herc Gomez:We need Zlatan. He's coming up. They didn't, it wasn't an attitude thing. it was just like, hey, we just kind of want this bigger player. So sorry, go away. Chucky Lozano is in a position right now where he's going to get his money, I think, maybe not all of it, some of it, because certainly I think there's a little bit of leverage that now San Diego has, which is the World Cup. They know that Chucky's in need of finding a team, and he's kind of against the clock. I agree. It's a game of chicken. A game of chicken in which Chucky Lozano has a bigger truck. You know, to Herc's point, while maybe you're designed to absorb seven million, seven million is a lot of money.

1:08:20Exactly. Seven million is a lot of money. So, again, you play, Chico Lozano can play this wonderfully well. Whether he gets the full seven million or not, he can get very close to it and be out the door, find a new club, find a new home in more than enough time to really start to reestablish themselves with an eye on that work.

1:08:41Herc Gomez:As one of my colleagues on Outer Ngo would say, do not forget the.63, the$630 ,000, which is still a lot of money. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love it. I love it. I tell you, the club better have my money, as Riri said. She used a different word instead of club at the top. All right. Well, if you can tell from all our outfits, we are very, very qualified to talk about the next segment. Guys, it is dripping. Or tripping. Now, Adidas and Mexico celebrated one of El Tri's most iconic moments in football history, dropping a remake kit honoring the legendary 1986 World Cup home shirt. Oh, look at Santi. I mean, if you're not scoring goals, at least you can.

1:09:27Oh, come on. Sorry. Oh, but he's very photogenic. But this, I mean, come on, guys.

1:09:33Herc Gomez:Did you see the team photo of the original 1986 team? No. That is Javier Aguirre down on the right-hand side, the coach of the Mexican national team. Look, this is dripping. I'm a sucker for retro. I was going to say, this is like our Chris Richo segment. Oh, my goodness. And this is so clean. This is actually a jersey that you can wear that looks part of like... It's a casual shirt. It does look like a casual shirt. That's not World Cup shirt. What do you mean? This is actually a World Cup. It's a 1986 World Cup. Yeah, well, okay. What were you wearing in 1986? I wasn't born. Dapos. That was.

1:10:09What kind of nice wear you had? Shaka, you were wearing diapers at 10 years old. My point is. You heard it here first. 86 is a long one. Life was at 10 years old. Shaka, you don't think this is a sleek uniform. Shaka, that's for you. I think. Listen, I would love to wear that old down the high street. Going to grab a cup of coffee. All right. Great. But in terms of iconic workup kits, this isn't one of those. Oh, wow. Not in 2026. This isn't one of those. Shaka, but retro shirts are very much.

1:10:42Herc Gomez:That's clean, Shaka. Shaka, that's clean. That's clean. Can we overrule Shaka? Of course we can overrule Shaka. Casually, walking down the high street, it's great. Shaka came dressed as a wedding singer. Of course we're going to overrule it. It is straight dripping. And that track jacket. The track jacket is nice. The track jacket is nice. Oh, so now he's down for retrofit. No, the track jacket is nice. Now he's down for retrofit. He should know. He should know. Okay, well, there's plenty more La Liga coming your way. It has been a nightmare week for Real Madrid under new management, so now even more eyes and pressure will be on them as they go up against Levante.

1:11:21This Saturday, it's an early kickoff, 8 a.m. Eastern time on ESPN+. All right, well, if for any reason you've missed our show, and shame on you if you have, don't worry. Make sure to download Football Americas as a podcast, and you will get to hear all our bants and cutting-edge analysis on it as well. But for now, that's it for this edition of Football Americas. We're going to teach Shaka how to dress not like a wedding guest. We'll be back with a fresh episode on Monday. See you then. Hey, sports fans. The ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service.

1:12:05And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional cost. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN, all in one place. Sign up or activate now.