In short
The episode covers three main soccer topics: the U.S. men’s national team roster reveal, a preview of the Madrid Derby (Real Madrid vs Atlético), and Americans’ club impact (Middlesbrough). It also briefly discusses Lionel Messi winning another trophy with Inter Miami. For the USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino names friendlies vs Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada, calling up 13 uncapped players and 13 World Cup veterans; the average roster age is about 22.
Key claims
the squad balance is youth plus experience, with veterans expected to mentor younger players on and off the field; Christian Pulisic is omitted due to fitness/club minutes and a lingering Gold Cup-related tension.
Notable examples
Kevin Sullivan and Xavier Gozos’ form; Yunus Musah’s return after AC Milan form; Jonathan David’s early Atlético impact (two goals in two La Liga games) ahead of the derby; Johnny Cardoso’s standout assist vs Osasuna.
Guests
Alexis Younes (host), Hercules Gomez, Shaka Hislop, Kay Murray, Mario Suarez, and Jeff Carlisle (ESPN).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOPreviewing El Gran Derby
0:45 to 1:20
Discussion on the upcoming Madrid derby and its significance.
“Hissop, lots to talk about today because this weekend in La Liga, a big one.”
USMNT Roster Reveal
1:20 to 3:19
Analysis of the U.S. Men's National Team roster and new player inclusions.
“against Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada.”
Balancing Youth and Experience
3:19 to 5:28
Insights into the mix of uncapped players and seasoned veterans in the roster.
“And since he does, we're here to ask him a couple of questions too.”
Evaluating Individual Players
5:28 to 7:46
Discussion on notable players like Kevin Sullivan and Xavier Gozo in the roster.
“By my estimation, it's 11 players that qualify as U-20s.”
Omissions and Their Implications
7:46 to 10:56
Exploration of the impact of missing key players like Christian Pulisic.
“I think when you look at how young the squad, how inexperienced the squad is, you also have to consider who these games are against.”
Culture and Commitment in the Squad
10:56 to 14:01
Discussion surrounding the cultural expectations and commitment issues in the team.
“Well, let's talk about some of the notable omissions, Jeff.”
Pulisic's Controversial Absence from U.S. Roster
14:01 to 17:44
Discussing the implications of Pulisic's absence and fan reactions.
“And it says, like, the average age of the U.S.”
Pochettino's Management Style and Decisions
17:44 to 20:16
Analyzing Pochettino's comments and management choices regarding players.
“And yes, Christian Pulisic is all the things that he is to US soccer.”
Jonathan David's Impact at Atletico Madrid
21:53 to 28:00
Evaluating Jonathan David's performance and role in upcoming matches.
“Well, let's talk some Jonathan David, shall we?”
Jonathan David's Opportunity at Atletico Madrid
28:00 to 29:16
Learn about the potential impact of Jonathan David on Atletico Madrid in light of current player circumstances.
“That allows them to be their best out wide now.”
Show all 24 chapters
Johnny Cardoso's Impressive Return
29:16 to 31:06
Discover Johnny Cardoso's journey back to fitness and his recent performances for Atletico Madrid.
“He's going to be an idol here because the people here love the players or support the players a lot, even now with all the problems with Julián that I don't want to talk about.”
Challenges and Expectations for Cardoso
31:06 to 33:54
Explore the expectations for Johnny Cardoso at the international level and his progression as a player.
“Because if you look at the game before it, Mario, the 3-0 against Real Sociedad, you can say, OK, it was 3-0.”
Previewing the Madrid Derby
33:54 to 36:24
Get insights into the upcoming Madrid Derby and predictions from the hosts about the match outcome.
“Yeah, well, Johnny Cardoso definitely will be hoping that that helped his case maybe for a starting spot this weekend in the big one.”
Previewing the Madrid Derby
37:15 to 38:16
Get insights into the upcoming Madrid Derby and predictions from the hosts about the match outcome.
“Shohei Otani's interpreter was fired today.”
The American Influence at Middlesbrough
38:26 to 42:01
Discussion on the impact of American players at Middlesbrough and their contributions to the team.
“Kay just talked to us about the American Quartet at Middlesbrough and how they've been received.”
Middlesbrough's Ambitions and American Influence
42:01 to 45:00
Explore how American players are impacting Middlesbrough's season and aspirations for promotion.
“you know that they are praised for being very workman-like.”
La Quinta by Wyndham Promotion
45:01 to 46:21
Learn about La Quinta by Wyndham and how it caters to travelers during football season.
“there in Madrid, so we're going to let you go and get your beauty sleep, not that you need much of it.”
La Quinta by Wyndham Promotion
46:27 to 47:32
Learn about La Quinta by Wyndham and how it caters to travelers during football season.
“You know that purple ShopPay button you see at checkout?”
Inter Miami's Campeones Cup Victory
47:37 to 53:26
Discuss Inter Miami's recent win in the Campeones Cup and Messi's performance.
“Let's take in some Campeones Cup action as Inter Miami went up against Cruz Azul.”
Messi's Disagreement with Don Garber
53:27 to 56:00
Analyze the tension between Lionel Messi and MLS Commissioner Don Garber after a recent match.
“Oh, well, let's talk about that little post-game reaction, shall we?”
Messi's Impact on MLS Perception
56:00 to 57:01
Learn about how Messi's actions and images influence the perception of MLS and its leadership.
“and having him be this animated with him.”
U.S. Open Cup Semifinals Recap
57:01 to 59:11
Get insights into the key moments and results from the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, including Columbus Crew's performance.
“And this is the message that's being sent.”
Copa Libertadores Highlights
59:11 to 1:01:17
Review the exciting moments from the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, including dramatic penalties.
“Louis will take on the Columbus crew in October for the Cup.”
Corinthians vs. Estudiantes Recap
1:01:17 to 1:03:25
Discuss the thrilling finish between Corinthians and Estudiantes, including penalty drama.
“All right, in the next one, Corinthians hosting Estudiantes de la Plata.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Visible puts unlimited 5G data and hotspot in the palm of your hand. Powered by Verizon's 5G network, with no contract holding you back. And for a limited time, you can get Visible for just$19 a month for 12 months when you use promo code SAVE6. All the features of big wireless service for half the cost. Tap the banner to switch today. Terms apply. Standard rate applies at month 13. See visible.com for planned features and network management details.
0:38Hello, hello, everyone. Come on into our studios. Get comfy because it's a new edition of Football America's Alexis Younes here. Back with Hercules Gomez and Xhaka. Hissop, lots to talk about today because this weekend in La Liga, a big one. El Gran Derby, Real Madrid going to Atlético de Madrid. A couple of players from CONCACAF involved in that one. We're going to be going all the way to Spain to preview that. Plus, guess what, guys? Lionel Messi, another piece of silverware. Casual, normal behavior. Little messy things. Little messy things, you know what I mean? Goat behavior. We're going to talk about that, too, later on.
1:10But first, the big news, because it has to do with the U.S. men's national team. Mauricio Pochettino revealed his first post-World Cup squad for the USA's upcoming friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. There you can see Kevin Sullivan makes the cut. He leads 13 uncapped players, so a couple of new faces that we're expecting to see in action. No Christian Pulisic in this one. We'll talk about that in a bit. But let's hear from Mauricio Pochettino on integrating some of the new faces.
1:42I think we already settled the principles in the last nearly two years. And I think it's been natural, you know, being natural. and they need to know what we expect from them and how we want to create that dynamic and build up in the next four years with all the principles. I think it's a good opportunity because the young kids that they are going to join us, they have the quality, they are showing that they deserve to be, but also they need to feel the support and the guide of the player with more experience. And we need the player to show, you know, the good examples, to show good, how to behave, how to behave in a different way, not only on the field, if not off the field.
2:35And that is really important if we want to create that, you know, idea of to be strong and to build that feeling of to belong to this national team. Yes, it's a great opportunity. the young kid always the young player that for first time they're going to join the national team the senior national team, they need the guide and they need the support from the most experienced player and I think we are like I told you 10 days or 12 days ago, I think it's a good mix of experience and fresh energy, new energy Mauricio Pochettino there speaking to our Jeff Carlisle because he always asks the best questions.
3:23And since he does, we're here to ask him a couple of questions too. Jeff Carlisle joining us right now. Jeff, we just saw the roster, as we said, a number of new faces, but what stands out to you? Oh, what stands out to me is the balance. You know, you've got 13 uncapped players and you've got 13 players who took part in the last World Cup. So, you know, I think there's a nice blend of youth and experience. And that's a case of Marisa Pochettino keeping his word. He said 10 days ago that this was precisely what he was going to do just in terms of the balance of the squad. And yeah, it's going to be really exciting.
3:59I mean, I think there's a lot of anticipation about some of these players. I mean, Kevin Sullivan, Xavier Gozo among them. But I also am curious to see how some of these players closer to the U.S. goal do. You know, like Anil Pierre, Frankie Westfield, Diego Koken, Those players, I think in Koken's case, he's been chomping at the bit a little bit. He's been brought into camps before. But I think also you've got some vets in there too. I like the idea of having the veterans act as mentors to kind of bring some of these players along, get them used to the environment within the Pochettino system and the Pochettino way of doing things.
4:40And so we'll have to see what the balance is when the games start. I mean, I don't think Pochettino is going to put, you know, 11 uncapped players on the field at the same time. I think, you know, it'll definitely skew more towards experience, at least initially. I guess the other thing that jumps out as well is the return of Yunus Moussa. I mean, this is a guy who, you know, for the last 18 months has been completely out of the U.S. reckoning. But he's been doing exceptionally well this season with AC Milan. So it's good to see his early season play being rewarded by Mauricio Pochettino. Yeah, well, we're going to talk about some of the uncapped players as well.
5:13I mean, the biggest name for sure, Herc, has to be Kevin Sullivan. Just based on his form for the Philadelphia Union, we saw his interview a couple of weeks ago where he talked about what it felt like missing out of the World Cup, said he felt he was ready now. Xavier Gozo as well. Would you make of their inclusion? By my estimation, it's 11 players that qualify as U-20s. That's insane. I think the average age of this roster is 22 years of age. It's a very inexperienced roster, and I think that brings a lot of promise to fans. You think about the ceiling with these players, and I would argue it's the floor that should get you excited.
5:50Look what these players are right now. Usually when you talk to 20 players in American terms in this history of this program, they've not been first division players. They've not been first division players that were important to their teams. They've not been first division players that were important to their teams that were doing well in the league. And they've not been considered amongst the league's best. A lot of these players have. A lot of these U's 20 players made the jump to Europe. And while Calvin Sullivan is the biggest name here, I would argue he's not the biggest prospect. You've got prospects all across the board.
6:23Dortmund has Mathis Albert, and this is a player who's on Champions League rosters. So Xavier Gosa just made the jump. while he is very enticing to the fan i would argue there's so much more than just one name that said the kid's been the best and i saw this online i'm not going to take credit for it best u39 player in major league soccer he's been that good there's only been one other player who's been better than him in the last 10 games that he's played when he's been given the chance that's leonel messi and that says something he's riding a wave of momentum at this moment that he's got to keep going but this is a very exciting time for kavin sullivan very exciting time for the u.s man's national team fan who coming off this 2026 world cup they were expecting a lot of things yeah they were told to believe why not us why not us and then they crashed out in spectacular fashion and a lot of the players who disappointed the u.s men's national team are not in this call-up and them not being in this call-up gives these young players an opportunity to impress i think fans are looking for this hope shaka we've been talking about kevin sullivan for some time now on this show.
7:25What do you make of the balance of this squad, but also Kevin Sullivan and Herc saying, look, his time is now. Listen, I like the squad a lot. And while we've heard from Kevin Sullivan and Xavier Gozo, I think last time I spoke to Jeff was because of statements that both of those made. And now here we are having those conversations about those same two players in a very, very different context. I think when you look at how young the squad, how inexperienced the squad is, you also have to consider who these games are against. Two Commonwealth Nations and two North American rivals, a very inexperienced squad.
8:00We talk about balance, but three of the four strikers are new to the squad. The only incumbent, if we could call him that, is Ricardo Pepe. That kind of speaks to, I guess, some of the direction that Mauricio Pochettino is going to go in. And given where we are in this cycle, I like this a lot from Mauricio Pochettino. I think this only works in the greater benefit of the squad in the longer term. I'm sure we'll talk about all the different competitions that the U.S. will play in over the next four years. But if some of these players, if half of these players progress into the first-team squad and play meaningful minutes in four years' time, this moment, this step will be lauded greatly.
8:47Just one more thing to you on some of the younger players at Herc. as a former player too. Just when you look at the opposition, as Shaka pointed out, you have Peru, you have Chile, but you also have Mexico and Canada. And as Jeff was saying, it's not like Mauricio Pochettino is going to put 11 uncapped players on the pitch for all of the kids. We don't know that. Well, we don't. I was going to go to Jeff soon and be like, Jeff, what do you think he's going to do? But what do you want to see him do, especially for the Gosos and the Sullivans who feel they are ready to go up against the Mexico and the Canada?
9:14I'm old enough to remember 2018 and Shaka and I were in the room when the U.S. Men's National Team failed to qualify against Trinidad and Tobago. They threw the baby out with the bathwater right after. All the players that could have maybe helped pave the way for some of these younger players, the Michael Bradleys, the Josie Altidores, that type of player, you're out. You're gone. Want nothing to do with you. We start fresh. We give these kids the keys. Let them figure it out. There was a caretaker, that was a term, for Dave Serekin, 13 months while they waited for Greg Berhalter to finish with the Columbus crew.
9:49And these kids, it was their team. And while they took their lumps, it was them learning on their own. And the Tyler Adams, that type of player, was really the only leader of the bunch. It was really a Lord of the Flies mentality with these kids. They don't have that anymore. It's a rough mentality to have, let me tell you. It's kids governing kids. They don't have that anymore. It's a good balance. You've got the likes of Chris Richards on this roster. You've got the likes of Tyler Adams. You've got the likes of Giovanni Reina, who's no longer a kid. He's got two World Cups under his belt. He's only 23 years of age.
10:22You've got a Yunus Musa coming back who already played in the World Cup, who plays at Milan, who's already established his European career and has gotten that going forward. So it's a good balance where some of these kids, like a Kevin Sullivan, like a Xavier Goso, like anybody you want to throw up in here, Justin Ellis, they can learn from these players. They can be guided by these players in the right way. That, to me, is the important thing with this balance. And I don't know what Pochettino is going to do, how he's going to trot out this lineup. But they're going to be better for it because they're together with players of experience.
10:56All right. Well, let's talk about some of the notable omissions, Jeff. Of course, this one being led by the fact that we're seeing no Christian Pulisic on this roster. Yeah, to me, that's not really a surprise. You know, you look at Mauricio Pochettino's history and he wants his players to be fit and not just recently fit, but fit for several weeks, you know, proving it with their clubs. You know, I can remember he left Sergino Dest off a roster in October of 2025 and Dest was playing for his club that very weekend after the roster was announced. But in Mauricio Pochettino's eyes, Dest was not fit enough.
11:34So I think it's a similar situation with Christian Pulisic. He is just recently back with Milan. He's had two 45-minute stints, one in the league, one in the Europa League. And so I think it's just a situation where it's just a little bit too soon for Christian Pulisic. That said, during the roundtable with reporters back on September 7th, Pochettino did bring up the Gold Cup, which Pulisic sat out. And you just kind of got the sense that that situation, that incident still bothers Pochettino. It still grates at him a little bit. What were his exact words, Jeff? This is a family show. I can't really say that.
12:19But B.S., I'll shorten it. Yeah, so I think it's a situation where, OK, yes, it's not quite the right time for Christian Pulisic. But you get the sense that there's still an undercurrent of just some standoffishness almost. I mean, the relationship, I think, between Pulisic and Pochettino has always been on the cool side. But now we'll see what these kids can do. And then we'll see in November, which is the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals, if that's when Pulisic gets reintroduced into the squad. Some other omissions, I think, were also expected. Flo Balogin has not played at all for Monaco since his, you know, aborted move to Everton.
13:03Weston McKinney just got back on the field today in the Europa League. You know, he went 60 minutes. So, again, I think it's a lot of these guys have been dealing with injuries. It's just a question of too soon for a lot of them. And, again, come November, you know, we'll see where things stand. Yeah, just a couple of shows ago when we were trying to predict what this roster would look like, Like, Herc, you know, we had our Ale Moreno on the show, and he was just saying if he's Christian Pulisic, given everything Jeff just mentioned and the little hangover from that Gold Cup decision, you're calling up the manager and you're saying, look, even though I'm not 100 percent, I still want to be a part of this because I know there's going to be a lot of young players.
13:42And just by having someone like Christian Pulisic there, it kind of sets a standard for all these younger, uncapped players. How should we read into this omission? I agree with Jeff. To me, this isn't much of an issue. it's standard protocol for what marissa pochettino has done he's played 45 minutes his own manager ruben almarin has also stated that hey he's not played a lot he's upset that he's not playing but do not forget he suffered an injury by my estimation it's 10 weeks to the day that he fractured his leg so we shouldn't be too surprised here but it is telling and jeff alluded to the words that came out last week about it's bs what happened over the summer it is also telling that he goes out of his way in a release by U.S.
14:27soccer. They send it out. It's on Twitter. You can read it. And it says, like, the average age of the U.S. men's national team in this call-up is 22 years of age, 13 uncapped players, 11 of them are U-20s. And then there's comments by Mauricio Pochettino. And along those comments when he talks about culture, at the end it says, more importantly, they must show the commitment to representing the country in a way that our fans deserve. and you're thinking yourself who's he talking about right and because that's a shot that was taken at Christian Pulisic yeah and has been used against Christian Pulisic and you guys can correct me if I'm wrong but I have never in my time of being in or around the U.S.
15:10men's national team have found the fan base have a toxicity with a personality, with a player, like they do today with Christian Pulisic. There is this sector that feels that he quit on them in the biggest of moments. He didn't want to be with the national team at the Gold Cup. He didn't have what it took and left in the World Cup, which I think is erroneous. I mean, you've got a fractured leg, you can't play. But they think he quit on him. And there's a large portion that right now are saying, good, he shouldn't come back. And it feels like Pochettino at times is... Feeding into it, is that right?
15:56I don't want to say feeding into it, but he's not... Fanning the flames. Fanning the flames a little. He's not putting out the fire. I don't want to say fanning the flames, but he's not putting out the fire. Because he was asked today about Christian Pulisic. And the easy answer would be exactly what Jeff just said. He's coming back from injury. we picked the players we wanted to be here were his words. So you're not putting out that flame. And I think that's a flame that needs to be put out. I really do. Shaq, how are you reading into this situation? So just to be clear, Pochettino is calling BS on Pulisic not being in.
16:32He never said Pulisic. Well, somebody. Indirectly. Yes. The Gold Cup squad of 13 months ago. Yes. grudges and ex-girlfriends come to mind I love it I'm not sure how this is still a conversation I'll be honest I really don't know how this is still a conversation or that the goalkeeper is still a conversation as far as Pulisic not being in the squad you can't call it a win-win but it's a right decision I think it's a right decision not to have him in the squad because he's just coming back from an injury he's back with his with his club in AC Milan who he didn't finish last season very well with they've got a new manager he's seeing he's starting to see minutes again leave him let him be if from a Christian Pulisic the exact same sequence I did not have a good enter last season I got injured in the summer we've got a new manager let me be that's all I I didn't think that this would be any kind of a conversation at all as to whether he should be or shouldn't.
17:41That is absolutely the right decision to take here. And yes, you've got a young squad. And yes, Christian Pulisic is all the things that he is to US soccer. But that's irrelevant at this point. You've got a very young squad. Let them be. Let them figure out their way. You've got more than enough experience in this squad if you're looking for that balance. I don't see why. I don't understand the relationship that apparently U.S. soccer fans have with Christian Pulisic all of a sudden. I don't understand why we still discussing the Gold Cup of 13 or 14 months ago, whatever it was. There's just lingering.
18:22I'm just leaving that part alone. I'm leaving that part alone. Jeff, you can understand why it's difficult to not think, fans might not think, that there's not something with Christian Pulisic and the head manager here where he just won't say, hey, he's injured. It feels like you can put out this fire and he's choosing not to. Yeah, it's peculiar to say the least. I mean, you know, like Shaka said, you would think that Pochettino would have gotten over this. You know, he sent his message. You know, he expressed himself publicly. I think the quote was, I am not a mannequin. You know, he is the manager of the U.S.
18:59men's national team. And so the message being that he's in charge. He makes these decisions, not a player, even if it's Christian Pulisic. So, you know, but it is a little strange. And this was brought up kind of unsolicited. I mean, it was, you know, 10 days ago, it was brought up in the context of bad habits. You know, Pochettino said he wanted to continue to eradicate bad habits in the program. And then he, you know, when he was asked to drill down on that, then he brings up the Gold Cup. And so, you know, it is a little bit strange. You know, again, I think the real upset will be if Pulisic is not there in November and he's healthy and playing for Milan.
19:41I mean, then, I mean, that will be, you know, a lot of eyebrows will be raised over that. But again, I think it's it was strange that Pochettino brought that up. But, you know, he is also trying to send a message to the young guys to say, this is what's expected. This is what I'm demanding. And you need to be able to deliver and provide that in the training camp if you want to get on the field. Yeah, well, like we said, another international break is upon us. So no doubt we will be catching up with Jeff Carlisle a lot more. But for now, Jeff, thank you so much for joining us today. All right. Well, Jeff is writing all about that roster for this upcoming international break for Mauricio Pochettino.
20:22Make sure to check out his article over on ESPN dot com.
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21:53Well, let's talk some Jonathan David, shall we? Because Herc had to fight for this segment. You know he is the president of the Jonathan David Fan Club. And yesterday he showed us exactly why he is one of the most highly rated scoring men in the CONCACAF region. Here he is scoring for Atletico de Madrid against Osasuna. They thrashed him 4-0, but it's also his second goal for Atleti so far. He's featured in two games. He's got two goals and one assist for the Canadian. And a lot of Jonathan David Atletico de Madrid shirts definitely going on in sale in Canada. if you have a look at his stats overall.
22:30Eight career games in Europe's top five leagues. And now he could be featuring in one of the biggest games of his life, El Derby Madrileño. The Madrid Derby is coming up this weekend in Madrid over on ESPN. And we've got a whole team out there, so we have to bring them in. We have our wonderful Kay Murray finally joining us on Football Americas. A little bit of Teesside here on Football Americas. And, of course, former Atleti man himself in Mario Suarez. is Kay, I'm going to throw it out to you because just curious, now that you've been there, now that you've been talking to Mario, just talk to me about the impact that Jonathan David has had so early on at Atleti.
23:11Yeah, absolutely. He's the first Atleti player to score in his first two La Liga games this century. It was Juanes Snyder in the 90s who last did it, obviously capitalizing on the fact that there's no Saul Lott and no Julian Alvarez. what better way to make your name and your presence felt to Diego Simeone, Mario? Yeah, of course. He made a big impact on the team. He's playing really well. He's not the type of number nine that is just on the box. Has a lot of quality to play along with the players. He has scored two goals, two good goals, because also the match before also scored. And I think he has a big opportunity on Sunday without Soto, without Julian, to make another big impact on the match.
23:53and he maybe became an idol for the supporters. Yeah. What will Diego Simeone be thinking after seeing that he stood up to be counted? Obviously, he loves to see when a player shows, boss, you can put me in. Well, I don't know if he's going to play or not, what he's going to do Simeone. He's got to be impressed though, right, Mario? But what I know from Simeone is that if a player is performing well and Jonathan David is scoring in two goals in a row, he tries to give confidence to these kind of players and I think it's also important for the player he don't understand I think all the language in the best way but I think the pitch talk by itself and I think he's doing really well I think Simeone is really happy I know because I talked with Simeone that he's really happy with him and well I think it's a big chance for him and he tried to do his best Yeah and he really did do his best didn't he Alexis?
24:50Yeah, he absolutely did. And that was just a sight for sore eyes, I would say, for Hercules Gomez. Because, Hercules, you're still the president of his fan club indeed. So he's pretty much just proving you right. Well, he is this season. He had a very hard go of it last season at Juventus. We can make that claim for a lot of different nines at Juventus last season. Or Inseriat, for that matter. It didn't go his way. But he's got that type of track record. Where if you give him a chance, he's going to score goals. He did it at Belgium. He did it at Lille, where he became the all-time leading goal scorer for Lille.
25:17He's done it for the Canadian national team. I know there are levels to this, but he's been always a player that's, as Mario said, shown a ton of quality. He's not just a nine. I really do think he's the closest thing they have to Julian Alvarez. And when Julian was going through what he was going through, and then he got injured, and Zorlat being who Zorlat is, and then not being on the field, the first thing I said is this is a perfect opportunity for Jonathan David. He's stepping into a situation where right now they don't have healthy bodies at the nine position, and the bodies that are healthy at the nine position, they're not very fond of Sorloth one.
25:51And Julian Alvarez, too. Julian right now with the fan base, and maybe Mario can elaborate more on this, but he's almost persona non grata. He hasn't won that fan base back in the way that Griezmann did when he lost that fan base. So right now they're looking for somebody, so much so that it was Lupin who was playing up in that striker position at times for Xolo Simeone. And he's putting the ball in the back of the net. If I'm Xolo Simeone, I don't know if I start him. But what I saw was a guy who put the ball in the back of the net. And even more so, he had multiple bites of the apple. He had multiple chances.
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26:24He's a guy that gets himself into great positions, and he works well off of others. It's encouraging to see what he continues to do. But the only way he stays on the field, because Julian Alvarez, when he gets back on the field healthy, will be chomping at the bit to prove himself, is by keeping the ball in the back of the net. Chaka, he has impressed. Has he at least made a case for himself to warrant a start in the Madrid derby? Yes, yes. Before I get to that, why did K have to make it sound like that? First player to score 2-2 in this century. We're trying to big up the CONCACAF match. It's back in the 1990s, granted.
26:56Talk about just making me feel old. What year did you play? I was playing in the 90s. He was playing last century. I just thought of the show feeling old last century. Anyway, to Jonathan, David. Listen, I think absolutely he has made a case. And I take everything Hick is saying, up and down, particularly in Syria. The thing for me is, when you've seen Atleti play during the course of this season, and they've been up and down this season, during the downs, it always felt like they were screaming out for a number nine. Some of it would be the focus of their attack. Now, the expectation was that that would be Julien Alvarez.
27:37Maybe it would be Soloth, you're thinking pre-season, going looking at the season and you're wondering where Jonathan David would fit. But now, given the issues around both of them, given the issues around Atletico Madrid, their style of play, some of their struggles to really create opportunities through the middle of the park, this is a great opportunity for Jonathan David. Not to be measured just in his goals, and while 2-2 takes some incredible going, but more how it allows Atletico Madrid to play their game, to build up, better use that threat from out wide where between Lee Kang-in and Giuliano Simeone, they have been exciting but have missed that central focus.
28:24That allows them to be their best out wide now. So I think Jonathan David brings a lot to Atletico Madrid in more ways than just having a number nine. Okay, just one more on Jonathan David. Interesting to know exactly how you guys have found it there in terms of the chatter around Julian Alvarez, because of course he still is part of the Football Americas family. And if Mario does think that it is a huge opportunity now for Jonathan David, as Herc just said, to maybe step in while he's kind of on the fringe with Atleti fans. I'll give that straight to you, Mario. I told you before, it's the opportunity that he has now.
29:06With no Julián, with no Sorlos, it's your time, it's your opportunity. And if he takes, he makes a good match against Real Madrid. He can score, Atletico win. He's going to be an idol here because the people here love the players or support the players a lot, even now with all the problems with Julián that I don't want to talk about. It's the chance for Jonathan. And it's up to him. If he can score against Real Madrid and Atletico win, it's going to be a massive day for him. And it's maybe a game changer. And I don't know. He's alone here. It's the chance for him to earn the possibility to be or to remain on Atletico de Madrid.
29:48And it's up to him. Yeah. And do what plays we're doing in the 1900s, Shaka.
29:56Herk and Shaka were talking about back pains before we start. They're feeling a little old, guys. All right, well, somebody who's definitely not old and is showing up is Johnny Cardoso. The American got a pretty stunning assist against Osasuna. Alex Baena with a great finish, but as Ale Moreno said, forget the finish, look at the ball from Johnny Cardoso. It was a stunning one. Well, let's hear from Johnny Cardoso, who spoke to our ESPN Deportes team after that game.
30:29We have a need to always improve and continue to improve. Especially for me, I was working hard for three months. I suffered a little with the injury. And I was back in a game at home with our aficion. 4-0, as Robbie said, 0. So he has a lot of chance to continue to improve. And I'm very happy. All right, so Johnny Cardoso there, Kay, looking quite happy now. Yeah, absolutely. And back to full fitness and making a difference in that game. Because if you look at the game before it, Mario, the 3-0 against Real Sociedad, you can say, OK, it was 3-0. But if we look at that game, there were things to talk about.
31:15But this 4-0 against Osasuna, for Johnny Cardoso to have played those 85 minutes as well as he did is a great sign. Yes, I love this player, to be honest. I think he's a midfielder different than the other ones that Simeone has. And it's true. The other day, I think it was the best match of Atletico de Madrid in this season right now, until now. And what he did in the fourth goal is amazing because I played as a midfielder. I know this kind of throwing to the midfielder is a dangerous ball. The movement he made and the assist to Baena, it was amazing. We were talking with him after the match. he was really happy because he came back after the injury and he was talking about that he wants to to attack more but Simeone don't allow him a lot so it was a good day for him he was really happy and I think that he's going to be very important for Simeone because last season he got a lot of injuries but every time he was able to play he was a starter for Simeone so I expect a lot from him and I think he's going to be a very important player yeah all positive signs are making up for lost time, Alexis.
32:19Yeah, positive signs indeed. And as I was saying, it's just good to see him say he's happy again, Herc, because he's someone that what we wanted to see is consistent, healthy performances. Yeah, listen, I've got no doubts about Johnny Cardoso at the club level. He was a very good serviceable player for Internacional. He was a very good player for Albetes. He did so well that not only did he come about, but there was the Spurs reports that were circulating or orbiting his world. He's a very good player and he's proven it in La Liga. For me, it's can he translate that to the international level?
32:50Yeah. His injury came at the worst possible time. He was out for three months. He missed the World Cup. I don't know if he was a shoo-in to play in that World Cup. Regardless of where he played, the platform that he has, Atletico Madrid, he wasn't a guarantee for Mauricio Pochettino. And now there's more depth in his position at the national team. I trust that he's a very good player at this level. For whatever reason, that hasn't translated to being a good player, great player at the international level. That's the evolution for Johnny Cardoso. What I see week in, week out when he's healthy, he was scoring Champions League goals.
33:22He's a very complete midfielder. How do you translate that to the international level? I'll be honest. I wasn't sure he was going to get much minutes under Simeone either. Never mind Pochettino. Given the signings of Hillman and Lee Kang in. But you get the opportunity. And let's not understate how good a pass that was from Cardoso. He didn't have an awful lot to hit. Baena was able to take that in stride. that is as outstanding a way to announce yourself to Simeone and to whatever threat there may be in midfield. That was very impressive from Cardoso. Yeah, well, Johnny Cardoso definitely will be hoping that that helped his case maybe for a starting spot this weekend in the big one.
34:03El Derby Madrileño is all going down at the Metropolitano. Atletico Madrid up against Real Madrid. If you have a look at the odds here, Real Madrid, of course, favorites to win this one. But is it always this clear cut? Let's go back out to Kay and Mario. Kay, just what's the vibe heading into this one? Yeah, well, it's always, it's El Derby. It's the clash that divides a capital city. It always does that. It is pure rivalry between these two teams. And it's really hard to call when they come up against one another. What are you looking forward to in the most recent edition we're going to get?
34:39In this kind of matches, you never know. Remember last season, I think it was 5-2 in the Metropolitano for Atletico de Madrid, something that nobody was expecting. I mean, you can win through Real Madrid, but not score five goals. And I expect on Sunday a win from Atletico, 2-1. It's OK. No, it's gone 3-0, 4-0. Maybe this is the 5-0. Oh, my God. Imagine what a party we will have there in the Metropolitano. I expect a tough match, not so many goals, to be honest. because I think Atletico has Jonathan David, but he don't have Julián, he don't have Soloth, he don't have a lot of people in front. So I expect that Atletico needs a match with not so many goals, and I think 2-1 for Atletico will be so good.
35:22Mario going 2-1 for Atleti. Do I have to give a prediction, Alexis? Yes, Kate, come on, give us a prediction because I know which parts of Madrid your heart lies. Oh, oh, oh. Just saying, just saying. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a complete neutral. She's of the rare breed that bleeds white, let me tell you. Kay, what do you think? Okay, I think it's going to be fun. I think we're going to get a draw, but an entertaining one, 2-2. Kay is going for the draw in this one. Hmm, I don't know. I don't know if I want to go for a draw in this one. The Metropolitano is a great leveler. Xhaka, let me start with you.
36:00I'm going to go Atletico Madrid. At home, while Real Madrid are favorites, I think at times they've been desperately unconvincing during the course of this season. I think this is a big game for Atletico Madrid. Big game for Simeone. This game just kind of ticks all the boxes for everybody. But I think Atleti, I'm going to go 2-1 like Mario. No, I agree with K. I think this is a draw written all over it. Real Madrid have been very unconvincing away from home. This, to me, has a late game equalizer from ESP written on it. Oh, he's all aboard the ESP train, isn't he? I'm going to go 3-2. Cholo Simeone and Atlético de Madrid in this one.
36:41I'm telling you, the atmosphere at the Metropolitano is a special one. Look at Mario. Marito, muchísimas gracias. Thank you so much for staying up late with us. But K. Murray, you're not allowed to go anywhere because we're going to be speaking about the borough coming up in just a bit. All right. Well, do not miss it. El Dermi de Madrid. With Atletico Madrid up against Real Madrid this Sunday, 10, 15 a.m. Eastern time. But make sure to join Kay and the boys out there pitch side, 10 a.m. for the pre-show. It's on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and the app.
37:26Shohei Otani's interpreter was fired today. Ipe Mitsuhara ran up gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation. The inside story of the biggest scandal in modern baseball. He was absolutely bananas the amount of bets he was making. I've never seen him like it. From 30 for 30 podcasts, this is the betrayal of Shohei Otani. Presented by Gusto. New episodes available now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC.
38:08It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit VivgardMyWay.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T MyWay.com. And talk to your doctor about Vivgard Hytrulo. Brought to you by Argenics. well we have seen a little bit of an american revolution going on over in a couple of clubs especially in the uk and the latest one to have their own little american contingent is middlesbrough just have a look at the quartet of american midfielders that have recently joined and the impact that they have had so far over in teesside so whenever we're talking anything Teesside we have to bring up the queen of Teesside herself our Kay Murray.
38:56Kay just talked to us about the American Quartet at Middlesbrough and how they've been received. Yeah well everybody knew Alexis that with Aidan Morris and everything that he's brought to the club since being here that if these players are going to deliver in the way and commitment and quality on the pitch that Aiden has, then things are going well. And Middlesbrough have had this focus on getting MLS players in. And now there's four of them. As you've seen, four U.S. players in at Middlesbrough. That's four more than most clubs. So, you know, if you're looking for a team to support Americans, Middlesbrough is the one right now.
39:33And what's been really nice is that it obviously means Aiden Morris has said good things about the club. And the lovely thing is, is that the Borough coach, Kim Helberg, he really sees that with these U.S. players, he knows that they have a good, strong quality right now but he knows that they are disciplined and that they'll work hard and that they'll give everything they've got so much drive and that's what we're seeing from them as well and that's something that has really attracted the Borough recruitment team to getting these players in and so far so good and one of the really nice things is that Aidan Morris has allowed Burr, Halter and Arston to live with him for a little bit until their girlfriends were getting I'm sure that's happened now but it's been brilliant there's even been like a little show on YouTube with the guys settling in.
40:14We're even singing USA in the stands at the Riverside at the moment. USA, USA. So I would say it's been a very warm welcome. Oh, brilliant, because not much is actually warm up in Teesside, I tell you. It's the coldest I've ever been when I've been at the Riverside Stadium. I love how they call them the Middles Bros. But, Herc, this would be big because Borough, of course, just fell short of getting promotion to the Premier League last time around. this time around, especially with a quartet of Americans, this could be big for them. Well, big for both. I would argue it's bigger for the Americans.
40:48For the longest time in the UK, in Europe, the Americans haven't been respected as other nationalities, and that respect is earned. The passport comes into play, and now you're seeing more and more Americans make their way to the championship where they've been very serviceable. And these players are no different. I think the one thing that ties all four of them together is what Kay was talking about, that workmanlike attitude, knowing what you get out of this type of product. And then there's a growth with it. You already knew what Aiden Morris could do. I saw him at Columbus when he was a young guy, 19, 20 years old, playing an MLS Cup final to go now and take that next step into his game.
41:26But what I'm looking, or I'm seeing, excuse me, out of the likes of somebody like Sebastian Berhalter, maybe unjustly for my part, I didn't notice before. Here on this side of the pond, we see him as the coach's son. We see him as a product of Major League Soccer who got into the national team and took his chances. I don't get the impression that Middlesbrough sees him that way. I get the impression they see him as somebody who's not only a contributor, but a big piece of that squad. And the statistics reflect that. Shaka, the beautiful thing that Herc just said is when you look at the American players, you know that they are praised for being very workman-like.
42:04And the championship is the perfect place to thrive for workman-like players. The championship is a difficult league. You've got to be able to play good football as it takes to sit atop the championship table. But to do that, you've also got to be able to be very physical in your play. So it's complete in how it prepares you. And let's be honest, there's no charity here. This is not about the commercial viability of having Americans on your roster. This is about four talented players coming into a team, a team with big ambitions. and making it better. And all four are living up to those expectations.
42:42I think that works wonderfully well for all four, also having countrymen alongside you. It works great for Mils Bras as a football club that they can continue to put in these kinds of performances in this kind of league, given what it takes to get out. You get out of this league, now all of a sudden you're in with your big boys in the Premier League, and that's a whole different ask. That's a much bigger platform. but you're earning that right in those difficult midweek games in the championship. Kay, of course, like we were talking about, the fact that Borough just fell agonizingly close from getting promoted to the Premier League last season.
43:21What's the belief of them being able to get promoted this season? Well, it's interesting, you know, Alexis, and just to add to Herc's point as well, I suppose that's the nice thing for Sebastian Berhalter, that he doesn't have that shadow weighing over him in Middlesbrough. The Middlesbrough fans are actually really excited about and we saw those two goals the other day from him. So that's a really nice side of it for him, that he can escape that somewhat too. But in terms of promotion going into the season, and listen, we're never too optimistic. It's just who we are as a people up in the northeast, up in Middlesbrough, because we're used to disappointment.
43:54We've been used to it over the years and we're okay with that. And going into the new season, we were thinking, OK, yeah, there's some really good positive signs here. This is going to be really good to see how we can do. But we could still pick a few teams before a ball had been kicked where maybe they were ahead of us. But now the season started and I feel as though that excitement's coming back. I've even heard other broadcasters saying it would be a failure if Burrard don't get promoted. And it definitely wasn't the feeling going into the new season. Yes, they need to be up there, but suddenly things seem to be clicking for them.
44:26and it's just great to see the Americans coming and fitting in. And listen, they will get the love from the fans if they put the effort in on the pitch. That's how it is up in Middlesbrough. What you've got to do is show that you love that club, show that you fight for that club, and they'll have the whole of the Borough fans on their back supporting them. Yeah, and if and hopefully when they do get promotion, it'll be a party at Kay's house, Parmas all around. You're all invited. Get the arteries ready because let me tell you, it's a lot of grease in that, but you've got to have a Parma. Happy with Zac Steffen, remember?
44:56We made one. Thanks for watching our features, guys. All right, Kay Murray, thank you so much for joining us. It is almost 2 a.m. there in Madrid, so we're going to let you go and get your beauty sleep, not that you need much of it. And we will be back on ESPN FC tomorrow. I will be back in the hot seat. Kay will be joining us again as well from Madrid as we continue counting down to that big one in La Liga at the weekend.
45:21It was impossible to ever stop fighting. What a save by Casey Keller. But you can get beat down enough where you finally quit. Keller became one of the most dominant keepers in the game. This isn't just your career ending. This is potentially your life ending.
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47:44Let's take in some Campeones Cup action as Inter Miami went up against Cruz Azul. 23rd minute Luis Suarez, as usual, finds Lionel Messi, who heads in a goal for a change. What? He just dunked on deep to the Colombian center back here. Look at his half his size. Well, five foot, what is it? When did Messi start doing this? Yep. I'll jump over this defender. I'll hate it. Ask United. Oh, my goodness. For the Champions League that way. Stop it, stop it.
48:1422nd minute here. Yeah, we don't need to do that. Guys, I'm having a tough week. Let's not even talk about United. 63rd minute, or 66th minute, rather. Ooh, what a chance here. And a double chance. And it's really good. Had a new first instance. Really good defending the second. 80th minute now. Messi's corner finds my man Casemiro. You know who misses these set pieces, Shaq? Manchester United. Oh, that's wrong. That was that stuff. Oh, Manchester United. Two Manchester United. Remember him when they were good? Oh, Bex, come back and play. Casemiro, come back and play. But instead, Casemiro here helping Inter Miami to yet another piece of silverware that makes it four in four seasons.
49:02And Leo Messi, with a big smile on his face, as he has done so many times in his career as Inter Miami, lift this Campeones Cup. Now, if you have a look at this, 46 titles, career titles with club and country for Lionel Messi. Pretty nice, huh? That's what he was missing. That's a lot of titles. I think this is what he was missing. This is what he was missing. Now he can retire. Now he can retire, guys. He can die happy. He can die happy. out, but no time soon. Kirk, thoughts on this latest win for Inter-Miami? I was really impressed. I know this is in the eyes of many a meaningless game. Doesn't matter.
49:44But Cruz Azul had their chances, man. About what was it? 18 shots? But they were very good shots. The closest one was El Toro Fernandez at the end off of Mosos' cross. That was it. When they were dumping balls into the box. But I have never seen Inter-Miami defend this well. And I say this the structure. I know he's new. He's probably been there and he's working on some things. But the way they set up and the way there was a commitment for each other, the aggressiveness in which they tried to close down. Messi at times as well. I've not seen him defend like that in probably ever, if I'm being honest.
50:20That said, it's the same formula. It's the same formula. Messi is always involved. I cannot tell you how crazy it is to see Messi who's 5 '5", 5 '6". dunking over Dita, the Colombian center back, who's such a strong presence in the center of the field for Cruz Azul. He dunks on him. This is sheer determination. This is saying the ball's up in the air from his teammate, his best mate, his best socio, his best partner, puts it up there, and he dunks on this fool. Just straight. This is not a matter of you being more physical. This is you wanting it more. That's messy in that moment. And he shows up in these championship rounds.
51:02Round 4 and 5 of a UFC fight, or round 10, 11, 12 of boxing. That's when he shows up, the championship rounds. That's what he does. That's when he's at his best. And it's no surprise that Cruz Azul bottles this, if I'm being honest. They let go of a multiple goal lead against their bitter rival, Cuba America, and they almost blew it. If the game was two minutes longer, they end up blowing that game against America, and they translate that emotional state onto this game. And they were nowhere good enough in this game. And Messi had one called off, rightfully so. Luis Suarez missed one or two. Berterame missed another.
51:39This could have been very ugly for Cruz Azul. But the formula is the same. So impressive from what I saw from Inter Miami. In a game that many are going to say didn't matter. But if you look at Messi, and we saw the Palmares, we saw the titles that he's won over his career, 46. And look at him. You think it mattered to him? Damn right it mattered. This might not matter to anybody else, but it mattered to him. And that's how he always played. Can I just say that Lionel Messi would like everyone to know that he's actually 5 '7", not 5 '5", or 5 '6", as Hurt just said. Apologies, 5 '6". He was powering in that head up.
52:18Let me say, to Hurt's point, it felt like a game that didn't matter to Cruz Azul. Yeah. And you saw that in their defending, particularly for the two goals. I'll talk about Messi's head in a minute. But then from a corner, Casemiro is free as a bull. And if it's not him, it's his mate. Exactly. It felt like this was a game that didn't matter for Cruz Azul. It felt the exact opposite. And while jokingly doing the highlight, I've seen Messi score headers. I've not seen him come from the blind side to run past defenders and get ahead of them in that way. And this kind of leans into something that we continue to say about Lionel Messi.
52:58That he just plays the game for fun. He's still enjoying it as much as he always did. It's now more of a challenge in that he sees himself as not at the peak of his superpowers, but still, I can prove a lot to these guys around me, even though I'm not at the peak of my superpowers. And that's where the challenge comes from him. And I feel you see that in the game. You see that in his post-game reaction as well. Oh, well, let's talk about that little post-game reaction, shall we? We do have some B-roll because it wasn't all sunshine and roses for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami because after the game emerged this footage of Lionel Messi seeming to have a bit of a disagreement with Don Garber.
53:46Herc, how do we read into this? Well, if we want to read his lips, according to Argentine reports, Conmigo no, not with me, not with me. And he's waving multiple times. There's also different video footage that I've seen of him chasing down Garber multiple times and waving the finger in his face. And Garber right there, he's got a slight little grand smile on his face, and he's got the finger up as well. Listen, there is history here. Go back to July 2025, and Messi and Jordi Alba were suspended from not attending the MLS All-Star game versus Liga Mekis All-Stars. They were suspended the very next game.
54:21It was a big game against Cincinnati where Inter-Miami needed to win. If they wanted to climb those standings against Cincinnati, who's doing very well, they tied 0-0. And I quote, the owner of Inter Miami, Jorge Mas, was stating how this could influence contract negotiations with Lionel Messi. He was alluding to how this might affect that. July is when this happens. August Don Garber is on a podcast with Front Office Sports and he says how Messi's not too happy with him because he was suspended he's not Messi's friend at the moment Messi doesn't think too kindly of him you go ahead and he does another interview and he's talking about how Messi blames the commissioner of Major League Soccer for some of the refereeing assignments so now you have a history and a pattern of Messi and Don Garber not seeing eye to eye or maybe Messi not seeing eye to eye with Don Garber and they finally find each other.
55:22Messi's not one for interviews. Yeah. He's not one to go out there and do the rounds with the press. It looks to me like here Garber is trying to get him to at least speak to the camera. This is what it looks like to me and Messi is not taking kindly to it. I could be wrong. There could be more to this story. There could be less to this story, but this is a terrible look for Major League Soccer. Shaq? It's a terrible look for Don Garba. It's a terrible look for Don Garba. I'll be honest. Listen, Lionel Messi will continue to be the asset to Major League Soccer that he is because of what he does on the pitch.
55:57It's a terrible look for Don Garba in recognizing Lionel Messi's importance to the league and having him be this animated with him. Yeah. Well, I can't say off the field, but at the end of a game. that's not a good look. Because while we know Messi has an edge, you don't see it on display like this. Not in this manner, not unofficial. So this might, I don't want to say rumble on, but it certainly doesn't reflect well on Don Garber and the MLS head offices. These are the images that go around the world, not Messi and Inter-Miami lifting a trophy. These are the images that go around the world. Just like last week, the images that went around the world were Rodrigo De Paul asking Lewandowski, who are you?
56:51Those are the images that go around the world. This is the commissioner of the league. It doesn't run the league. Messi runs the league. And this is the message that's being sent. All right, well, let's get in some more highlights, shall we? because there was plenty more action on display. U.S. Open Cup semifinals now. Columbus Crew up against Orlando. Nine minutes in. Josef Martinez here from Ale Moreno range. Oh, it's in the box. Is that an Ale Moreno control, though? Oh! That's a question to ask. Shaka! Vamos Venezuela! I'm just, you know, I'm just asking you questions. I'm not saying anything.
57:34Well, the goal obviously was reviewed, and it has been given, so Columbus take that lead. Ale Moreno catching strays from Shaq, who we know holds a special place in his heart. 40th minute, though, that's when Orlando find an equalizer. It's a good finish here off the left foot, threw a bit of traffic. I don't know if it makes a defender, but the goalkeeper sees very little of this. Just about 12 minutes later now, Santiago Rodriguez will pick out Mendes, who would tap it in to goal, and Columbus back in the lead, which should make Ale happy because that is a little far out for his race. Yeah. It's such a good ball by Rodriguez, though, to pick out with Mendez.
58:13It really is. All right. So Columbus get the win in that one. Colorado Rapids against St. Louis in this semifinal. Oh, boy, oh, boy. 30-second. Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no. What's the goalkeeper doing, Shaq? Shaq is dropping. Oh, Shaq, I dare you to defend that. I can't. Tell you what. Oh, no. He stays down here. He stays down here. That's a red card. That's a fine-tina red card. Did he try controlling that outside of the right foot? I don't know. How about this one? Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. Aw, Shaq. No, that's not on that keeper. I was about to say, it's not his fault here. No, no, not his fault there.
58:52Okay. No. No. It just gets worse. No, that was another solid one, too. The good thing is you're not playing it. Oh, they're playing at home. No. Those are my Rapids. I'm sorry. My ex-Rapids. All right, well, obviously a tough night there for the keeper. St. Louis managed to get the win in this one. So now St. Louis will take on the Columbus crew in October for the Cup. Let's get some Copa Libertadores action, shall we, as Quito are hosting Palmeiras in this second leg of the quarterfinals. The first leg finished with a 1-0 win to Palmeiras. Ten minutes in, Freitas scores and Palmeiras take the lead.
59:33Yeah, Marlon Fetas. He gets a little lucky here how this comes down to him, but he finishes it off. Just a couple minutes later, Luis Segovia would get an equalizer. Yeah, it's a good head. A defender in the way, but he doesn't do much but help his intensity back in the net. 69th minute would get a red card here because Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira gets sent off after complaining over a shove for his player. I don't complain too hard. Ferreira's gone. If we're doing some lip reading, he says, Fuera, which means get out. He gone. As Ale Moreno would say, he gone. 71st minute, we would get a penalty.
1:00:10After Mina commits his handball in the box. Mina goes for a merry dance here. Wait. You missed the first one. The first one he got put on his back and then had to turn around. Oh, no. Shuggles is a merry dance. And 73rd minute, Victor Roque. There he is. Oh. What, you know? That's a good header. Good finish. Help the goalkeeper out there. Please. No. 2-2 on aggregate. It's 3-2 to Palmeiras. But then in the third minute of stoppage time, Estrada scores again. Absolute dramatic scenes now in Quito because this means that we're going to penalties. It's a little lazo. Oh, look at the keepers. What's going through his head, Shaq?
1:01:00What's going through his head? I'm going to save all these. I'm going to save everyone. Okay, well, Palmeiras are up 5-4 in this one. Keeper makes a big save, Xhaka. And Palmeiras and Vance is now on penalties. They will be facing Fluminense in the semifinals. Is it an all -? Okay, we will talk about that. We'll talk about that. All right, in the next one, Corinthians hosting Estudiantes de la Plata. This is their second leg. The first leg finished in a draw, 1-1. 87 minutes is where we pick this one up because Alexis' great name, Castro, scores. Alexis Castro just strokes so beautifully. It comes down right to him on the left foot.
1:01:41Ball doesn't go out of bounds, but look at this finish. Beautiful stroke. Fantastic. You know, we Alexises tend to do things beautifully. Do you know what I mean? Are you left-handed, left-footed? I'm not. I'm definitely right-footed. But big up, Tomas Palacios. She's about to say she's not right-footed either. Wow, I am just catching straight. Memphis, relax! Memphis, yes, Memphis, because there's a handball shout here in the box. Just one hand. The ref would go to VAR, and Corinthians will be awarded a penalty and a big chance to tie the score on aggregate. Memphis Depay steps up. The clock.
1:02:2411 minutes. And he's got it! Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. Oh, he can't believe it. Absolute. Herc, that ever happened to you? No. No. Oh, boy. Oh, no. Not from the spot. No, no. That's going to be a tough one to shake off. Shaq, you ever shoot a penalty kick? Yeah, may have. Did you sky it? Scored a couple. Hello. Oh. All right, well, let's do the answers. Win this one, and they advance. Shaq, you never skyed a pen. Sky no Missed yes Missed or did the keeper save it Keeper saved a couple Missed a couple Scored a few more My college days though Never took any Never professionally Nobody trusts me Nobody trusts me For any more than half a yard What's Ale Moreno's Penalty taking record Oh he's definitely Eighth man on a penalty kick shootout It's a little far for Ale Moreno But he'll be back soon We'll be back with more Football Americas on Monday where we will be looking back at a host of things.
1:03:30So make sure to join us then, including the Madrid Derby. We'll see you then.
1:03:54Take us to Super Bowl 61, plus a three-night stay at Disneyland Resort, where you and up to three guests can enjoy the magic of Disney, plus the Super Bowl champion cavalcade. Enter at www.espn.com slash SBLXI by December 31st, 2026, for your chance to win. No purchase necessary. It's 1231-26 at 1159 p.m. Eastern. Open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., who are 18 plus at time of entry. For odds of winning and full official rules, visit www.espn.com slash SBLXI. Void where prohibited.
From the publisher
Futbol Americas is here on a Thursday to react to the USMNT roster reveal ahead of the September and October camp. Cavan Sullivan is in, and Christian Pulisic is out. Next, Kay Murray and Mario Suárez join us from Madrid to preview the Madrid Derby and how some CONCACAF players can make a difference. Kay sticks around to talk about her favorite team, Misslesbrough. The Americans on the team have been contributing. Can they help Boro make a Premier League push? Later, we react to Inter Miami winning the Campeones Cup, plus Messi's confrontation with Don Garber.
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