Futbol Americas: Pepi in peril

13:59Herc Gomez:And he didn't want to go. He cited personal reasons. Respectfully, fine. Your personal reasons. But you come back here and you want to force the club's hand to go back to Major League Soccer. And I can only assume it's because it's the reason that we're all thinking. Because now he sees a clear pathway to the national team. He sees what's going on and he says, Maricio Pochettino doesn't care where you play. My family would be much more comfortable in North American Major League Soccer. So I'm killing two birds with one stone. I can see a direct pathway to the national team. This works out for me and my family.

14:32Herc Gomez:And it should work out for Norwich. They get their money, too. So in his mind, he's thinking this is the best case scenario. But this is the worst way of going about it. Because if he doesn't leave, what kind of position is he now have with his club? He doesn't get to leave. The club gets to make a decision. He doesn't get to make a decision. So, yeah, you're going all in with a hand with a pair of twos. And that's, yeah, sometimes you can win with a pair of twos, but not that often.

15:00Kasey Keller:Well, I just go back to what Philippe Clement had to say. He said there will be consequences. So when you use that word consequences, Casey, what are you seeing? How does this end? Are we going to see a big public apology from Josh Sargent? Or do you feel this is beyond repair now? Look, I don't know if Norwich have the finances to be able to stick them with the youth team. But I've seen that. I've seen not only are you not going, but you're not even in the first team anymore. Go train with the kids. You don't play, you don't get paid.

15:30Herc Gomez:It's that simple. They'll be in monetary. Well, they'll be two weeks wages. That's the maximum you can be fined in the UK. So he'll get two weeks wages, and then they'll make a decision from that if he wants to be involved, if they're going to involve him or not. And some of it will truly depend, I think, on what you just said. Is there, hey, I made a bad mistake, or are you going to double down on it and end up with the youth team? You asked me what would I do, and I asked you if I'm Josh Sargent or if I'm his teammate. Because if I'm reading this and if you're reading this, Alan, you're his teammate.

16:03Herc Gomez:A few things that are coming across your mind. And being respectful and being kind to the kid isn't one of those things.

16:11Alexis Nunes:Yeah.

16:11Herc Gomez:And are they in the relegation zone right now? He's not a kid.

16:14Alexis Nunes:He's a kid to us. I'm not saying he's a kid. I'm just saying. Hey, part of what they should do is take the cell phone away. So he's not sending text messages. Are you? if you if indeed this is the way that you want to go about it you don't send a text message you go and talk to the coach you talk to the manager and you have a conversation face to face right if be mature about it and actually take responsibility for what you are trying to do and a text message and again there is a generational disconnect and i'm willing to admit that that everything is done via text this day this sort of thing is not done via text but

16:53Herc Gomez:i don't buy i don't buy that he's going rogue by himself he's got representation this doesn't this doesn't just come out and he decides like he's clearly being guided by somebody here that's somebody thinks force your way to go to toronto and you mentioned if you're toronto's gm they don't care case they're getting the player they want well and it's not the first time yeah yeah because They've done it. Toronto has a long history of bringing American. It worked well with a couple of the Italian guys, huh? They were great team players. Pay them a bunch of money. Let them go road and see what happens.

17:25Herc Gomez:Toronto will still do it. Toronto's still not proven they have the culture they once had. But that's what I'm saying is, is it the right thing? I'm not saying what somebody in Toronto makes a bad decision. I'm saying if I'm a guy and I want the right culture in my club and I got a guy that's willing to do that at that club, that means he's willing to do it at my club. And I don't want that in my club.

17:45Alexis Nunes:And you just mentioned, you just said, well, he's being guided. And I go back to something I said a couple of minutes ago. He's not a kid. Yeah. He's been around. He knows. There is right and there is wrong. And this is wrong. So if his agent or anybody else is getting in his ear and tell him, send a text to force your move. Do not listen to these people ever again in the history of mankind.

18:11Kasey Keller:Well, with that said now, too, if you're Mauricio Pochettino and you're seeing this saga.

18:15Alexis Nunes:Gone.

18:16Kasey Keller:Does this hurt his stock for the U.S. men's national team at all? Or do you almost appreciate? I don't know if he had any stock with the national team to begin with. Do you consider it, though, and say, do you know what? Fair play. I can see what you're trying to do. As Hurt pointed out, you are, you know, fighting to get into my squad. Nope. It hurts his stock. To me, it's this is what can potentially happen in my squad. So, red flag. No, of course.

18:42Alexis Nunes:It's as red as a Herx jacket. Look, let me just say, what is the word that Mauricio Pochettino has used time and time and time and time and time and time again? Culture. This goes against everything when you're building a culture. Herx, you agree?

19:01Herc Gomez:I do in theory, but Mauricio Pochettino has been a prisoner of his own words before, and he said he doesn't care what happens outside or what's happened before. Is that red? Is it a red jacket or no? It's red. It's kind of like Rick Red. He's mentioned that before. He only cares what you do when you're with him. So, in saying that, those are Marisa Pochettino's own words. I agree with the guys that this doesn't bode well. This is a terrible look.

19:24Kasey Keller:Terrible look indeed. Well, I'll tell you who's been looking good. Weston McKinney for Juventus. He scored today against Cormanense as they absolutely demolished them 5-0. And he has been impressive lately for Juventus. But despite all of this, it seems like neither party are interested in renewing their deal. And his deal comes to an end this summer, June 30th, to be exact. So he also has a bit of a saga going on now here. Casey, considering we're talking about the January transfer window, it doesn't seem like either party wants to renew despite how things are going now. Does he leave now? Well, I think he leaves now if the right suitor comes along for both parties.

20:08but this has been something that's been happening to Weston for the last couple years. Every summer, new manager comes in, says you're surplus goods. He does a job. He fights himself back into the team. Next year starts, and the saga starts all over again. Part of the problem is when you're on a specific contract, and they can't get the number for you, or another club doesn't want to pick up the number that you're already on, you're kind of stuck if you're Juventus. And they've clearly made a decision, even though Weston keeps proving them wrong by getting back into the starting lineup, that they've decided that it's not for them.

20:51And I think Weston is also in this. I don't think Weston particularly wants to leave Juventus, but he wants to be in a club that wants him. And if a club every year tells you we no longer want you, why would you sign a new contract? because why do you think it's going to change the following summer?

21:09Kasey Keller:Well, as Herc, as Casey was saying, Herc, this Weston-McKennie cycle is just like rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. If you evaluate his season now, how would you? Is it just simply not enough for a new deal? Do you understand where Juventus is coming from?

21:23Herc Gomez:Well, I don't think this is Juventus holds the cards. I think this is Weston holds the cards. You're going to be a free agent at the end of the World Cup or during the World Cup? That's a powerful chip if you're a player. That means no transfer fee. That's more money for you, more money in your pocket, a higher salary. I think the cards are in Weston's favor. Weston holds the power right now. If you're Juventus, you do everything you can to lock him down. So if he has a good tournament and somebody wants a potential sell, a Major League Soccer is willing to spurge on players, whatever the case may be, then you cash in.

21:55Herc Gomez:But right now, Weston is the one with the power. Weston's the one. This isn't so much rinse and repeat because he's never had this leverage. He has the leverage now. He's not signing. I wouldn't sign. I would play my hand, go to the World Cup, hope you have a good World Cup in your own country, and see what a good World Cup in your country can unfold for you. Parlay that. I think that's the move. I think that's what Weston is going for. I think Juventus right now is just out of cards.

22:23Alexis Nunes:Right. So then as I'm reading the report, you're suggesting that then the report is incorrect. Because as I read the report, Correct. Juventus not interested in renewing the deal.

22:32Kasey Keller:You're saying contract talks with Weston have stalled. They've not come to an agreement. I think it's I think it's like the Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso mutual party.

22:39Herc Gomez:I think it's not so mutual party.

22:42Alexis Nunes:I'm reading what it says.

22:44Kasey Keller:He's not looking to commit. So maybe Juventus are trying to flex their power to saying, OK, cool. Well, we don't have to offer you anything. Well, here's what I would say. If Juventus thought that Weston McKinney was a player that was a no doubter for the next five, seven years, they would be interested in renewing the deal.

23:07Alexis Nunes:But since he has been a player that has been in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out, now he's out. Now, I understand your point, and much like you, if I were Weston McKinney at this point, I bet on myself. Correct. I bet on myself because you have, and this is something that players usually do not have, power and independence. Yes.

23:35Alexis Nunes:However, it's a risk as well. Yes, it is. Anytime that you're betting on yourself or betting on something away from your control, because you can control your performances, but you cannot control the performances of others. And this is a team sport. You depend on others as well to make you look good as you make them look good. We're assuming, or he's assuming, that he's going to have a great World Cup. Well, there's the other option. What if there isn't a big World Cup? What if the United States are not as good as they could be or we think they can be? Then the market shrinks, shrinks, shrinks, shrinks.

24:18Alexis Nunes:Because there will be others that will have an opportunity to showcase themselves in the world. He's not the only one. Well, let's look at it from an even, you know, I'll go negative, Ali. Oh, boy. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why negative Ali? Well, because we've all been around negative Ali.

24:34Kasey Keller:That is true. Wow. Well, that is true. I just meant like when Venezuela.

24:41Alexis Nunes:That's right. I've not seen negative Ale. Good to see you.

24:44Kasey Keller:I've only seen negative Ale within reason. Okay. How much is Weston featured under Pochettino? Yeah, well. Not very much. No. And not in his position either. Right. So Weston had a stint at Leeds. How did that go? Flat. Okay. So now you're already saying he's done well in Italy. And I respect everything he's done. Because to me, one of the most difficult things to do is to change somebody's mind. And on multiple times, coaches have come into Juventus and said, you're not my guy, and ends up changing their mind and starting for that coach. Multiple positions. Multiple positions and multiple times.

25:32So absolute ton of respect for that. but there's probably clubs in England that are saying, it didn't go so well at Leeds. Is there other teams in Italy? Sure, but you're talking about Juventus. So I don't know. I think it'll be a little tricky. It's not going to simply just be, I'm a free agent. Come on, come get me.

25:58Herc Gomez:I see exactly where you're both coming from. But for the last three years, he's been on a one-year contract. They've been trying to get him out. Three years ago. I wouldn't sign for that either. Three years ago, they left him off the USA Tour. And then when they realized they're going to cash in or lose marketing dollars, they added him to the USA Tour. It's been multiple coaches, multiple tactical schemes, multiple positions. He proves his worth, and yet he always gets left wanting more. So I don't, if this is indeed the route that Weston is going, I don't blame him one bit. As a footballer, you want more control, more say in your future.

26:32Herc Gomez:You also want somebody that hurts you. Of course. You also want to be somewhere where you're wanted and respected.

26:39Kasey Keller:We heard the transfer rumors just last year, year before as well, about FC Cincinnati wanting him as well. They were talking crazy money. They were talking crazy money indeed. So is MLS the right move to go? Is it just time for MLS, Aleph, for him? 27?

26:56Alexis Nunes:My opinion of MLS obviously is built upon my experiences on MLS, but the world of MLS has changed dramatically. And when they're bidding$18 million for Josh Sargent, then if you're Weston McKinney, you're thinking, well, my market is higher than that. Yeah. And so then you ask the question, how much is Weston McKinney worth in the European market? And it isn't much more than whatever MLS would bid for him. And so there are a lot of things that make sense in this case for Winston McKinney. But I do believe, and I don't know him personally, but I have seen the trajectory and I've seen the struggles.

27:45Alexis Nunes:And I've seen a guy that has fought his way back from the depths of being nowhere in particular to actually earning a play. And that tells me that there's an element of grinding there. A grinding that I would have liked to have seen from Weston McKinney more consistently over the years. But we have seen it in moments with Juventus when he's been forced to fight. He has fought. And if that's the case, I think he wants one more go around at the big time. And one more opportunity. How much bigger than Juventus is that going to be? That's the question.

28:19Kasey Keller:That is the question indeed. Herk, you look like you want to say something.

28:23Herc Gomez:There was a time, and you guys will remember not too long ago, where Major League Soccer brought in big stars from the U.S. Men's National Team. I played with a few in Toronto, Josie Elder, Michael Bradley. I played with one in Seattle, Clint Dempsey. Al Abedoya came in later. There was an exodus of players from the U.S. Men's National Team coming to Major League Soccer. One could make a claim, and you could say whatever you want about where Major League Soccer was at that point in time, and it's a much different time today. But you can make an argument that that wasn't as beneficial for the U.S.

28:53Herc Gomez:men's national team as one would have hoped for. They missed the World Cup first time, and I don't know how many goes, 2018. It needs to be something where there's continued growth for Weston McKinney. It's not so much the league, but the setup. And I agree with Ali. He's a player that, when challenged, has rose into the occasion. But you want to see it more. You want to see more of that. You're not coming home for development. you're not coming home for taking that next step forward. You're coming home because you're getting a ridiculous amount of money to do so.

29:24Kasey Keller:But at 27, you still think there's time? To make money? Well, no. We know he can still do that. No, that's – To continue developing as well as the league. No, if he's coming home, he's coming home simply because it's like, this is life-changing and I can't turn this down. Simple as that. Simple as that. And I don't hate on that either. No, no, no. You never.

29:44Herc Gomez:But those players I spoke about were already 30-plus years old. It was different. Okay. I checked those numbers. I don't think they were 30-something. Josie was a little younger. Ale Moreno. And so was Michael. He never played.

29:56Kasey Keller:He never played. All right. I can hear a lot more from him. On the other show, ESPN FC. It is on seven days a week. You know where, ESPN+.

30:08Alexis Nunes: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. MaintainX 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.

30:43Alexis Nunes:go to maintainx.com slash sports. That's maintain and the letter x.com slash sports. This college basketball tournament moment is brought to you by Marriott Bonvoy.

30:56Kasey Keller:You got to take one game at a time and go up there and try to play our best and hopefully get a win. In the 2003 NCAA tournament, junior guard Dwayne Wade led third-seeded Marquette on a magical run to the final four. In the Elite Eight, Wade scored 29 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists as he carried the Golden Eagles to the upset win over one-seeded Kentucky. Marriott Bonvoy, where game day checks in.

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31:54Kasey Keller:All right, well, he's undoubtedly one of the most respected faces on the U.S. men's national team. I'm talking about Tyler Adams. Unfortunately, he's out with an injury now, Yet another injury now for Bournemouth, but he is the main focus of the new Diary series here at ESPN and Anscape. Here's a sneak peek at the first episode.

32:29Alexis Nunes:On the way to training. Typical routine. Get up around 7, 7.30, unless the kids wake me up earlier. I'm in a good spot. Obviously, found consistency so far this season. Continuing to work out any kinks that I have in the body. But the goal for me has always obviously been peak performance by the time of the World Cup.

32:55Kasey Keller:Today was the day. The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We were waiting for it. The U.S. men's national team, they were drawn in Group D and just have a look at their opponents.

33:08Alexis Nunes:It's interesting, like, I don't think there's probably ever been a draw where all three teams you've played within the past, you know, six, seven months. It's such a coincidence that, you know, we've just in the past two windows played against Paraguay and Australia and then potentially Turkey if, you know, they go through the qualifying process. There will be expectations because now we've had good results against them, that you're supposed to have them at the World Cup, but anyone that's played a World Cup know that it's a completely different ballgame. So it's favorable for them as well because they've played against us and know how to make tweaks against us now.

33:38Alexis Nunes:So yeah, it will be fun, but a World Cup's a World Cup, man. Excitement all the way around. As soon as the announcement was heard around the world of the World Cup being brought to US soil, I think everyone felt this moment of excitement. golden generation quote unquote for U.S. soccer. You know we're not 22-23 anymore, we're now 26-27, we're at better parts of our careers, more experienced, haven't gone through it before. There's no gimme in the sense that oh you get knocked out, it was your first one, you didn't know what to expect. It's like now it means something. I look at it as a huge opportunity for myself and so many other young Americans.

34:18Alexis Nunes:I think the goal in this all is of course to win, you know, have something tangible, have a trophy at the end of it. But it's also to inspire the next generation of young kids. Some sheep, say hi to them every morning, feed them on my way to training. It's very different from my drive to training in New York on the highways, but it's nice.

34:56Alexis Nunes:Family for me has always been the most important piece of my life. If you ask anybody about me and who I am, they'll always mention that I'm a family first person. Obviously, you know, you have to dedicate so much of your life and make so many sacrifices to what you do to compete at a high level in your professional job and career and sport. But it's not really me who's making the sacrifices. It's my wife, my kids who I don't always get to be with when I have to travel on the road or go away for games or Go back to the states and be with the national team and I'm very thankful of the people in my inner circle You know my my parents my brothers my wife my two kids Outside of that, you know You feel like you don't need anything and I try to be as present as possible with them and share those those important moments with them I don't take any moment for granted I'm in a really good space mentally right now just coming off having our our second kid It puts a lot of things into perspective.

35:48Alexis Nunes:You know, you have a day job of going to compete every single day and be the best athlete you can be. But to find that balance with life and family and my wife and two kids now has been amazing this year. So I feel like everything's coming together at the right time as we gear up for a really big year. Not only, you know, in my career, but the U.S. Men's national team career and history as we go to compete in the World Cup in 2026. Thanks.

36:13Kasey Keller:All right, a little snippet there from the diaries of Tyler Adams. Look out for that once a month until the World Cup, guys, right here on ESPN and Football Americas. In today's world, planning ahead isn't always top of mind, but not having life insurance can leave families facing difficult financial uncertainty during already emotional times. In many cases, loved ones are left managing expenses, debts, or long-term obligations without a clear plan in place. Life insurance is one of those ways to help provide financial security and support when it's needed most. That's where Ethos comes in. Ethos makes getting life insurance fast and easy.

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37:59Kasey Keller:Ale Moreno. Ale Moreno, this is your time to shine. It's really the... It is time, Alex, top five, Alex, unbiased, top five, greatest U.S. men's national team midfielders of all time. Ooh, that was a mouthful.

38:16Alexis Nunes:Yes, it is. And I don't know that I'm the one that should be making this list among those that are in this panel, but I was asked to do so.

38:24Kasey Keller:Because you are unbiased. You're from the Conmebol region.

38:27Alexis Nunes:All right, well, let me just say I'll start with number five, Michael Bradley. Now, Michael Bradley, I think, had the potential of being higher in this list. But the way I looked at this, it was in the totality not only of performances, but to the trajectory individually as a player in terms of your club career and really what the players were able to do with the national team. So just making the top five, I think, is worthy. Michael Bradley was excellent for this team and was the leader of this team for a long period of time. I say he was good enough to be in the top five. Number four, John Harkes.

39:07Alexis Nunes:Now, I was struggling with John Harkes. I was thinking that maybe he was going to be hiring this list, but we'll see some of the names that come up, and I'll explain why those names are above John Harkes. First player, U.S. player to be in the Premier League, and a guy who I really think in a different era would have gotten so much more attention. And I think that's true for John Harkson and the players that are going to come after him as well. Athletic, leader, a presence on the field. And I'm not going to speak out of terms because I think Casey would say otherwise if I did. I think you look at John Harkson as the sort of player that you love to have as part of your team.

39:51Alexis Nunes:It's an acquired taste in terms of a personality. but a guy who, within a locker room, you knew he was a leader and was a leader for the U.S. for a very long time. So in terms of leadership, I'd pick him above Michael Bradley, hence why I have him above, and number four. Number three, and this was a struggle because I needed to make the case that Ernie Stewart was a midfielder. Oh, he's definitely a midfielder. Yeah, well, there's some. You're in the 4-4-2 days. Yeah, yes, yes. Yes. And he had, in terms of numbers, a similar career with the national team as John Hart. In terms of amount of caps with the national team, Ernie Stewart had over 100.

40:32Alexis Nunes:John Hart had 90. But what I think separates the two of them is that Ernie Stewart happened to score what I think is one of the most important goals in the history of the United States men's national team and is the game winner, what eventually was the game winner, against Colombia in the 1994 World Cup. We think about the 1994 World Cup as an inflection point for soccer in this country. Not just the national team, but soccer in this country. They won one game in that World Cup. They tied against Switzerland, 1-1. They beat Colombia, surprisingly so, 2-1. And then they lost to Romania, eventually made it through as one of the third-place teams, and they lost to Brazil in the next round.

41:17Alexis Nunes:And yet the World Cup seemed like a big deal for the United States. Well, the player who scored the game winner in that game was Ernie Stewart. And I think he gets overlooked when we have the conversations about midfielders for the national team all time. Number two, Claudio Rey.

41:33Kasey Keller:Oh, Casey loves that.

41:36Alexis Nunes:And it's a close number one too. him and the number one player are a toss-up for me. Claudio Reina in an era in which the United States were known for fight, guts, glory. Come on, USA. We're going to run, set pieces. We're going to grind. We're going to defend, all these things. When the ball came to Claudio Reina, it was about playing. He was different. Attack, attack, attack. Calmness, elegance, intelligence with playing the game. He looked different than everybody else. He had the fight. He had the toughness. But he could play with so much maturity to his game and elegance to his game. That was not typical of the players of that time.

42:21Number one, Tab Ramos.

42:25Alexis Nunes:I bring up Tab Ramos and why he's so close to Claudio Reyna. Tab Ramos also had the elegance. He also had the calmness. He also had the intelligence. But the reason he is number one is he had something different about him in the attack and the skill set in the attack. The creativity that was not a skill set of the American player per se, you would see it out of Tab Ramos. If you were looking for somebody to get out of a tight area, to find a splitting pass, to get himself between lines, it was Tab Ramos. And I would suggest that all from number one to number four, all those players, if they were around today, today, they would be starting for this national team.

43:09Alexis Nunes:And I would also suggest that those top four, they did more, much more, with less with the national team than some of the players today. So I'm saying these guys achieve more with less resources, with less support, with less money, with less awareness. People didn't care about the national team as much as they do now. And yet these guys were getting results. And I can go through those results historically if people needed to. I did my homework. Come at me.

43:43Kasey Keller:I thought that was a great list. Great kits too, man. I love a little trip down memory kit lane.

43:49Herc Gomez:Obviously, there's a few questions. It's the 4-4-2 era, so I've got no issues with an Ernie Stewart being in there type of deal, if that's what you want to use as criteria. But if we're going with that criteria, Demarcus Beasley definitely has to be in there. We're talking about a guy who would have been, what has he played, four World Cups, would have been in his fifth World Cup if the U.S. had qualified in 2018. Also, Michael Bradley would be much higher on that list for me. Are we talking top three? Yeah, I would think so. Michael Bradley is a player that played more than 160 games for the U.S.

44:25Herc Gomez:men's national team. He's a guy who scored in the World Cup. He's a guy who led the U.S. men's national team to a second-place finish. I can go on and on. And I'm very pleased that there's a distinction between this player pool, today's player pool, in their club performances and the U.S. men's national team performances because this player pool today, playing 200 games for Juventus is no laughing matter. That's not an easy feat. Weston McKinney has one of the best midfield club careers in the U.S. Men's National Team player pool. Club careers. But those players, the Weston McKinneys, the Tyler Adams, those players don't have the achievements, don't have the achievements of the U.S.

45:08Herc Gomez:Men's National Team of old. They could have that in the future. Yeah, they might get there. Let's see what this World Cup unfolds. Let's see those historic moments. But that's why sometimes cult figures like a John O 'Brien come into this list. That's why sometimes a Jermaine Jones will be on this list. That's why sometimes an Ernie Stewart. I wouldn't have had John Harkes in the top five. But those are cases to be made of why today's current crop isn't in there. And I'm glad there's a distinction to that. Because besides beating the worst generation Mexican players that I've ever seen, this current crop, the biggest achievement they've had is a draw versus England.

45:44Yeah, I mean, I think Herc makes a good point. I like the list. Harksy's got to – somebody's got to be first.

45:49Kasey Keller:Yeah. Harksy was first. Tab, I think his career would have been a couple real key injuries, kind of set him back, which was a shame, a knee issue.

46:00Herc Gomez:You know, one thing about Tab really quick, I'm sorry. You ask most people. I don't think most people put Tab on there. You ask his teammates, ex-players, and Tab – those players' favorite player is always Tab, and I think that speaks volumes. Well, and Tab, again, was before Claudio in that first player that was more than just an athlete. That was more than just the guy that could fight and grind. He was the guy that had that little something extra. So, yeah, good list. And like I said, Ernie was, you know, because I think there's some other players, too, because in the first half of kind of, you know, Landon's career, Landon and Landon were midfielders.

46:43Landon and Landon were a lot more midfield, but then things shifted and they were more attacking. Kobe Jones played a lot, too, out wide, but then was up front.

46:52Herc Gomez:It's an impossible list. Nobody's going to have the same list. It really is an impossible task.

46:57Alexis Nunes:When I was asked to do this, the first thing I did was make the distinction as to what I thought was a midfielder for the United States men's national team. Even so, Landon Donovan did not qualify. Clint Denson did not qualify. Christian Pulisic did not qualify. I was thinking, and even a guy like DeMarcus Beasley, who I thought about, and I thought, okay, all right. Yeah. Then the last couple seasons. Was a left back. And then he's left back. And then is he a midfielder when you're playing with a back three?

47:26Herc Gomez:The 4-3-3 evolution is a winger.

47:29Alexis Nunes:And so, you know, it became more of a winger type than a midfielder. So I try to keep it to more central guys that you could wholeheartedly say these guys were midfielders. And while in some ways it was difficult to put the list together, in other ways it was pretty straightforward. Once you make, and the distinction that you just mentioned there, Hercules, is that I wasn't evaluating club career as such. What I was asked to do is for the United States men's national team. I think that's important. And then these players nowadays are yet to prove. They have to show me more. They have to give me more.

48:12Alexis Nunes:Never mind me. They have to give themselves more in order for them to be considered in this list. Now, we can go down the path of what's a career now with Juventus as what it would have been a career with Juventus back in the 90s. And so that's a different type of conversation. And because Serie A and Juventus are not right now what they were back then. What I could also say is that those players that I included in this list, particularly the top four, these are guys that the opportunities that are available right now to the American player were not available to them back then. They had to be trailblazers.

48:48Alexis Nunes:They had to find their own way. They had to, in the case of John Harkins, for example, he had to play with the Albany Capitals. Who? The Albany Capitals. Right? In order to sort of kind of figure his way and his path. And so for him to get to the Premier League is something. For Claudio Reyna to have the career that he had in Europe is something. For Todd Ramos to be the player. And this is the era of Todd Ramos was when, look, you talk about lack of resources for a national team. Casey, I'm not speaking out of turn when I say these things, and I hope if I am that you would correct me. The resources were not there.

49:22Alexis Nunes:You were the one tipping your ankle, for goodness sakes. We were getting ready to go down for that match in Trinidad. which qualified for our first World Cup in four years. We're staying at a Holiday Inn Express training at the Cocoa Beach Expo. Right. Shaka loved that. And then there was only – I did a soccer camp at the Cocoa Beach Expo. What? Yeah. So that was our campsite for the biggest game that got U.S. soccer on the map.

49:55Herc Gomez:Claudio would always be my top three. Claudio, everything you just said, 2002, which is still the benchmark for the U.S. men's national team. Ironically, like 94, they went 1-1-1. They backdoored their way in, beat a second-round CONCACAF team, and made it to the quarterfinals. Well, they should have been in a semifinal, a blown handball. Yeah, very easily could have been in a semifinal. Yes, could have very easily been in a semifinal of a World Cup. That World Cup, that greatest U.S. men's national achievement, they had a World Cup all-star team, 16 players. The best 16 players were selected.

50:25Herc Gomez:Or excuse me, Claudio Reyna was one of those best 16 players selected at that World Cup. So there are players who have, with little resources, done some great things on this U.S. men's national team. And there are players today in today's pool with a lot of resources that have not. Well, put it this way. I would not have been the first American to play in La Liga if Tab hadn't have caught that elbow in the World Cup in 94. And then because he was going to be injured for so long, Betis didn't put him in the convocados. And then, you know, where because he was the player of the season, not for Betis, but for the all of the Segunda.

51:04Herc Gomez:Yeah. And, you know, so so, yeah, there was some some difficulties there, unfortunately, for Tab, which I think would have changed that trajectory.

51:14Alexis Nunes:I also think that people have to have perspective and know their history and know their past and know where things come from. and how these opportunities that are now available to the American players didn't just show up. Didn't just happen. You had to have the trailblazers. Somebody had to grind. Somebody had to lay the groundwork. Somebody had to create a certain perception of an American player. They had to change the perception of the American player. Yes, yes, yes, which is actually even more difficult than creating a perception. You had to change it. They didn't think you could play. They didn't think you could.

51:51Alexis Nunes:And I'll give you an example from my own experiences. When I went to the national team for the first time in Venezuela, I got called up by the Venezuelan national team. The manager who was in charge of the national team, and we're talking, this is not 40 years ago. We're talking this is 2003. That wasn't my era? No, no, no. A little closer this way. A little closer this way. When he was asked about me playing in Major League Soccer at the time, he was so dismissive of the American player and Major League Soccer. Almost as if to say, look, I know he's scoring goals there and what have you, but that doesn't really count for much in our eyes.

52:34Alexis Nunes:And I'm thinking, wait a minute, we're discounting MLS and American soccer in favor of whatever we got going on here locally? Yeah. Yeah. But that's in Venezuela, who is overlooked by everybody else in South America. And yet we were apparently in a position where we could overlook the American player. If that's happening in Venezuela, imagine what's happening in Spain, in England and wherever else. For an American player to make it at that time was exponentially more difficult than it is now. Not that it is easy now, but it was exponentially more difficult back then.

53:13Kasey Keller:He had to grind. And someone who is always grinding is our Hercules Gomez. That's exactly how he's able to afford these luxurious bomber jackets. But he's right about in the right color because we're going to be talking about Canada now. Herc actually had the pleasure of catching up with none other than Jesse Marsh recently. Big summer as well for Canada at the World Cup. Let's hear what they had to say.

53:37Herc Gomez:All right, let's talk some Canada. We are officially six months away from the World Cup, my man. Let's dissect the group. For the sake of this argument or this exercise, it's Switzerland, Qatar, and let's say Italy in the group of the Canadian men's national team. Jesse Marsh, what do you see in this group? Well, if Italy qualifies, I would say we have the worst draw in the tournament. In the tournament? Yes, because we go from being a pot one host nation to then having an opponent who would be pot one, another opponent, Switzerland, who would be pot two, and Qatar being a pot three, which basically would mean we'd be pot four, right?

54:17So it makes it very, very difficult for us. The draw has a lot. It does determine what your vision can be for what success can be. But I think that our team can compete with anyone. And certainly games against Italy would be very difficult, especially if it's the first match of the tournament for us in Toronto, where there's a huge Italian community, Italian-Canadian community. But I think it's a game that our team would be very much up for and excited to play. And even though it's a big challenge, it's the World Cup. It's supposed to be hard, right? I really respect the team that Switzerland has.

54:52I think they have a great coach in Joaquin. They have players that play at very high levels. And then Qatar, I still think it's a developing football nation, but it's a team that won't be easy to play against. It's another team that will be organized and a team that can run. So, you know, I'm excited for these challenges, but I don't think we got the easiest draw by any stretch of the imagination.

55:20Kasey Keller:Yes, indeed. Well, here are the playoff paths that you can expect and see who else will fill out Canada's group. But even before we get the results of these playoffs that are going to take place in March, we already said on our World Cup reaction for Ballaméricas that Canada just looks like they have that group, That group that you're just like, oh, no, worst case scenario. So what's a realistic target? Let me start with you, Herc, then, for the Canadians.

55:46Herc Gomez:To get out of the group, I think that's a realistic target. The first game, if it is Italy in Toronto, where there are a ton of Italian Canadians, Canadian Italians, it's going to be a very complicated game. Electric atmosphere, but complicated game. And if you lose your first game, World Cup statistics have shown you, well, your chances dramatically go down of going out of the next group phase. They're a host country. There are eight best third-place teams that advance. We saw it in the U-20 World Cup. Mexico won one game and had fewer yellow cards, red cards, fair play. Advanced to the next round because of fair play.

56:23Herc Gomez:Ended up tying and beating Argentina on penalty kicks. I believe second place is where they would like to finish. Switzerland's a very difficult team. Yes. To me, Switzerland's the best team in the group. But Italy is the pot four team that nobody in the World Cup, no pot wanted. They drew them. I think it's by far out of the host countries the most difficult group out of all the pot, the top pots. Yeah, I think they probably got the most complicated draw. I think we just expect Italy at some stage to re-become Italy. Yeah. Or at least put it together. Yeah, and you're thinking, we're still in this idea of, oh, yeah, of course, it'll be Italy.

57:09That's what the – because we all know who Italy is and who they should be, and they just haven't proven that. It's been a long time, though.

57:18Herc Gomez:I mean, we're focusing on Italy, but you just met – I agree with you. We all feel that Italy will become Italy, and you don't want that to happen in your group.

57:27Alexis Nunes:So why do you need to be one of those best third-place teams? You win a game. You need to win against Qatar. And not get thumped by somebody else. Correct. And don't get too many yellow cars. I mean, we say it in jest, but that's the World Cup we're going to be living in. So my point is, right, we can dwell on Italy and Switzerland if we so desire. But if you're Canada, you're thinking, all right, we'll see what we can get against this team. We've got to beat Qatar. You don't beat Qatar, then you don't deserve to be going anywhere. And so it's rough. It's tough. Is it the worst? I don't know. I don't know that if I were the manager, I would be acknowledging that it's the worst and actually giving you an explanation as to why it is the worst.

58:12Alexis Nunes:And somehow you've made yourself into a pot four team. That's too much wasted energy and time from my perspective. If I'm Jesse Mars, I don't even go down that path. What do we need to do to beat the teams that we have in front of us? And right now we don't even know if it's Italy or not. What do we need to do in order to get a result against Switzerland? What do we need to do in order to beat Qatar? And maybe the result against Switzerland is a 1-0 loss. Yeah. And so you're like, okay, that puts us in an okay position if to Ali's point, we have to beat the team we have to beat. You know, I felt that a little bit in 98.

58:53You played Germany in the opening game. I was there, by the way.

58:56Alexis Nunes:I was there. Oh, nice. Parc de France. Thank you. Thank you. And you're like, is there really an expectation that we're supposed to beat Germany? Right. Okay, no. To me, the Iran game was the one. Correct. That's the game you win. And then see what happens against Yugoslavia. But you have to beat Iran if you're going to go through in this group. And I think this is a very similar type of situation. You have to get a result against Qatar.

59:25Kasey Keller:So then overall now, what does success look like for Jesse Marsh? Is it just getting these results or is it maybe finding a set identity that can even take him past?

59:35Herc Gomez:Judah, the group does matter. Who's in your group, the draw does matter. It determines your fate. That's just how it is. You would much rather play easier teams, have an easier draw, have an easier pathway to get as far as you can. They are looking for their 1994 moment. That is what they will do. I think they will find it very difficult to make a run. You mean like the U.S. against Columbia, 94 moment. Yes, but when you galvanize a country where something spawns. Did I tell you who scored the game winner in that game? Yes, you did. Since number three on my list. I'm going to make sports here, but listen, you're a baseball fan.

1:00:09Herc Gomez:No, Oli. You're a baseball fan. I was at that game. Not in the position I was hoping for, but I was at that game. You guys are baseball fans, okay? The Toronto Blue Jays played against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and here is a team, a regional team in Toronto, and it got all of Canada behind them. It got all of Canada behind them. One team from one city got all of Canada behind them. Because it's the only team for the whole country. And it's the only soccer team for their country. I firmly believe they can do the same. I happen to think Canada has a very good team for a tournament setting. I like the way they play defensively, how pragmatic they can be and how vertical, direct.

1:00:50Herc Gomez:And they've got a few players that I think can really hurt you. So if they can make a run and have Canada get behind them, this is going to be their 1994 moment. And it could be something of worth. 1994 spawned Major League Soccer for the Americans. Who knows what it could do for the Canadians?

1:01:07Kasey Keller:I love that. Herx, glass half full for Canada.

1:01:11Alexis Nunes:He loves Canada.

1:01:12Kasey Keller:He's the Robin Hood. He loves him some Jonathan David.

1:01:15Alexis Nunes:I did.

1:01:16Kasey Keller:I picked him in Copa America. and they did well. They love Canadians.

1:01:20Alexis Nunes:They're lovely people.

1:01:21Kasey Keller:Great maple syrup. Big up Canada. All right.

1:01:24Alexis Nunes:Thank you for that, Alexis. Thank you.

1:01:26Kasey Keller:Well, the other gift that keeps on giving quite light maple syrup is the Copa del Rey Alvacete. Thank you, Tim Hortons. A Xavi Alonso Les Real Madrid in action this Wednesday, 3 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN+.

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1:02:57Kasey Keller:All right, let's get to it, right? Because Chucky Lozano and San Diego FC are no more. It seems like he will not be returning to the MLS side after, let's be honest, was a rocky debut, to say the least. So let's hear more from Sporting Director Tyler Heaps and Mikey Varas on the decision.

1:03:19Alexis Nunes:Yeah, Irving is, look, we've had a lot of conversations with him, with his representatives leading into the break, as well as all of last season. We have communicated with Irving and his representatives that he will not be part of the sporting plans moving forward. That was not a decision that was taken lightly. That was something that was well talked through from owners down to leadership, down to myself and Mikey, and has been communicated with the rest of the group. So we're working with him and his representatives to find the best solution and the best environment for him moving forward.

1:03:49Herc Gomez:No one's bigger than the club. No one's bigger than the city. That includes me. And what I can say is the same thing I've always said, we're here to win. But how we win and who we win with matters. and we've made a decision across the entire club, leadership all the way up to ownership. Everybody's on the same page. It's not any sort of division 100 % that this is the best decision for us in the short term, medium term, and the long term is what I will tell them. Yeah, you know, we all respect him for the player that he is. Ultimately, it's just not the right fit. It's not the right fit. And when it's not the right fit, it's no one's fault.

1:04:32Herc Gomez:It's about making sure that we set him up best as possible to help him arrive to the World Cup because we do want the best for him. And we think that's somewhere else. And most importantly, it's what we think is best for the team to be competitive, again, in the short term, midterm and long term.

1:04:53Kasey Keller:All right. So simply just not the right fit. Is it really that simple? Herc, what do you think? Is this a footballing issue, money, or a bit more to this story?

1:05:02Herc Gomez:All right, all of the above. Listen, last season, there was an altercation with Chucky Lozano and the coaching staff. Don't know how public it was in front of the locker room, how private it was, but they deemed it so bad that the following week's game, MLS Decision Day, they needed to win in Portland or it would affect their standing. They wouldn't be able to host throughout the Western Conference Final. They made the decision to leave their highest paid player in the organization,$7.6 million off the roster. They beat the brakes off of Portland, come back, and they still decide it wasn't enough.

1:05:37Herc Gomez:They left them off again. He finally ends up playing a little bit the next game and then starts the final game against Vancouver. We know how that ended up. But they deemed him damaged goods. And they come here, and a few things. I applaud San Diego for the posture they are taking. Nobody is above the city, above the club. Great. Applaud it. But San Diego is shooting themselves in the foot in spite of Chucky Lozano. And Chucky Lozano, this is going to affect his immediate future. And that immediate future can and may and probably will include the World Cup with Mexico. But San Diego right now are trying to sell him.

1:06:17Any leverage they had is out the window.

1:06:22Herc Gomez:You go to Mexico right now, all the tough clubs, when asked, it's not, oh, you know, we're always interested in looking for better players, strengthening our team. Nope, we are not interested. Nope, we are not interested. So when you look at the players' history, there is the events with the Mexican Nation, as of late, left off the Copa America roster, in trouble with the Federation, Jimmy Lozano issues. You go back to his time at Napoli, Gennaro Gattuso and Chucky Lozano did not mix. He has a history of this. And you look at his playing history with the Mexican Nationals. The last time Chucky Lozano did something of worth was the 2018 World Cup when he scored against Germany.

1:06:59Herc Gomez:You take that goal out of the equation, you can't find another vintage Chucky Lozano performance or moment. It doesn't happen. So why they may be saying they are looking out for Chucky Lozano and hope he's at the World Cup, this directly impacts him and most likely leads him off the World Cup.

1:07:12Kasey Keller:When that clip finished, both Ale and Casey made the same sound. A little bit of a sly chuckle. Well, here's the slight chuckle is, I mean, did he sign a three-year contract? Yeah. Right? So basically they owe him about$15 million. Now, I'm ballparking that, right? Yeah. So do you know how bad you have to be for somebody to give you$15 million to go away? Which is why you think there's more off the pitch as well. There has to be more off the pitch because nobody is saying, here's$15 million. He wasn't that great for$7.6 million on the pitch.

1:07:52Herc Gomez:Anders Dreyer was by far the best player on that team. But you're still paying it. So you have to be so bad that you can't find a bit part for him because you're still having to pay it. They opted for a 36-year-old Pellegrino to play over Chucky Lozano because they said, you're not helping us on the field. So really what this ends up being is whoever made the decision to bring him in made an absolute horrible position to spend 20 plus million dollars for a guy that you didn't do your homework on both as a player and as a person and as far as i know almost every mls team loses money and if you now are basically piling up your money and lighting it on fire that's not going to help.

1:08:46So there's a I mean, there should be some unbelievable inquiries on who made these decisions and that it is so bad you're willing to pile up another 15 million and light it on fire.

1:08:59Alexis Nunes:The reason you make these decisions, Casey, I think it's very obvious is it's a new market in San Diego. Mexico is right there just down the street. It's Chucky Lozano. You're trying to make a splash in the market and in the local market you're trying to make a splash in the market as a whole in major league soccer so you're thinking you know what we can get that guy and that guy in in turn because of his presence on the field because of what he's going to represent within the community then all that money is coming back to us because of all the attention that we're going to warrant locally that's why you make the decision however you just did all the math calculation.

1:09:41Alexis Nunes:And I'm just going to leave that to the side. I'm not even going to take that into consideration, which I know is being taken into consideration, but I'm going to take it to the side. And all you have to listen, and this is code word for any manager or any representative of the team that says, it's just not the right fit. It's not the right fit. When you hear that, That's code word for you are a time. That guy. It's a nightmare to have around without the numbers. Now, if you add the numbers to it, then it makes it an even bigger headache. And now it's a headache, not only a headache to have around, but a headache to move.

1:10:22Alexis Nunes:So you can't get rid of because there are other teams that now are looking and hearing and paying attention and going, why would we want that headache? Yeah. That's what I don't understand.

1:10:34Herc Gomez:if you're the club, why make it so public? You know, if you're really trying to off-low him. They have to make an excuse on why he's not involved in preseason. Right. And that's, I mean, you can't just say, oh, he's such a great guy and a great player, but we don't want him anywhere near our training ground.

1:10:51Alexis Nunes:Because the same community in which he was going to make the splash and did make the splash last season, that same community is going to be like, well, where's Chukun Lozano? Where's Chukun Lozano? Why wasn't he playing in the most important game of the season? Wait a minute. Why is he coming off the bench? Wait a minute. Because the guy's an idiot. And as a club, you have to be able to communicate that by saying, it's just not the right fit.

1:11:20Kasey Keller:Cut-nedge analysis from Rale Moreno. That's exactly. He's the sporting director and head coach whisperer. That's what we have it. I think they would have loved that whisper before they made the financial commitment.

1:11:32Alexis Nunes:And I think there were enough whispers going around. But you all see. Here's the teams and clubs around the world. It's not just San Diego. Clubs around the world and coaches around the world make this mistake all the time. I can be the person that gets to him. We can be the club that gets to him. A little salt in the wound for Chucky Lozano.

1:11:54Herc Gomez:He gets his marching orders. Mikey Veras gets a new contract, the head coach.

1:11:58Alexis Nunes:So clearly we know who the right fit is and who's not.

1:12:02Kasey Keller:Exactly. As Mikey told us. All right. Well, and speaking of, I was about to say what a tangled web we weave. And speaking of tangled webs, they love to weave a lot of these on Aura Onunka. Herc here up to take some exciting stuff on Aura Onunka. Yeah.

1:12:16Herc Gomez:I don't know if you guys heard he was let go today. Yep. Shabby Alonso. You don't say. It was mutual though. It was a mutual agreement.

1:12:24Kasey Keller:He just wasn't the right fit. They talk a lot about that on Aura Ununca. You can find it over on YouTube. And we're going to look to see what best fits for Xavi Alonso. No, they're not. Yeah. No, they're not. No, they're not. All right. Well, that's it for this edition of Football Americas. But make sure to join us on Thursday because Julian Laronz, yes, indeed. Julian Laronz is somehow coming into Football Americas world because he's having an exclusive sit-down with Flo Balogon in Monaco. Monaco. That's going to be exciting. I envision yachts. I envision luxury cars. It is Monaco. We'll see you then.

1:13:04Kasey Keller:We'll probably be best dressed on Thursday, too. Giving Monaco. Monaco Americas.

1:13:23Alexis Nunes:From 30 for 30 podcasts.

1:13:33Herc Gomez:Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman from Miami. Gunned down. The key to this case, it's riot. Boy, he stripped him. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing what's about. This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. They're placing the arrest. We had a killer amongst us.

1:13:52Alexis Nunes:Murder at the U. Listen now.