In short
World Cup knockout-stage preview and match reactions, focused on Brazil vs Japan, plus “Quick Hits” covering other group/qualification results and managerial/news items.
Guests/backgrounds
Gab and Jules (hosts). Gab and Jules are football commentators discussing tactics, lineups, and tournament implications; no other guests are present in the transcript.
Key claims
- Brazil vs Japan: Japan were too passive and created only two shots on target; Brazil dominated possession and won via late pressure.
- Brazil’s qualification came from a 96th-minute Martinelli goal; Japan’s defensive approach invited Brazil’s crosses and physical advantage.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s substitutions (Hendrik for Paquetá; Martinelli for Cunha) are praised as effective, even if counterintuitive.
- Japan’s Moriyasu side “reverts” to defensive tactics in knockouts.
- Quick Hits: Canada qualified late via O. Oestakio; Chelsea’s Maresca deal with Man City involves large compensation; France rotated heavily but still won.
Notable examples
- Martinelli scoring at 96th minute; Bruno Guimarães to Martinelli for the winner.
- Oestakio injury-time winner for Canada vs South Africa.
- Messi record: first to score in seven consecutive games; scored off the bench vs Jordan.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOWorld Cup Knockout Phase Overview
0:48 to 1:44
Discussion of the World Cup knockout stage and Brazil vs. Japan match.
“And we're at the stage where the World Cup is in its knockout phase.”
Analysis of Brazil vs. Japan Match
1:46 to 4:39
In-depth analysis of Brazil's performance and Japan's tactics.
“But in terms of Moriasu, in terms of Japan, I just want to get to them before we get to Brazil.”
Brazil's Lineup and Substitutions
4:41 to 7:40
Examination of Brazil's lineup choices and critical substitutions.
“And you're right, they dealt with most of them well.”
Player Performances and Key Moments
7:42 to 14:00
Discussion on individual player performances and pivotal moments in the match.
“I mean, again, when you have almost 70 % of the ball, it's easy to be.”
Neymar's Bench Decision and Vinny's Importance
14:00 to 14:50
Discussion on Neymar's absence and Vinny's significance to the team.
“If they'd gone to extra time, he would have come on.”
Canada's Narrow Victory Over South Africa
16:02 to 16:37
Analysis of Canada's tough match against South Africa in the World Cup.
“New summer arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack Stores now.”
Canada's Narrow Victory Over South Africa
16:41 to 17:43
Analysis of Canada's tough match against South Africa in the World Cup.
“Jules, how about some quick hits instead?”
Mareska's Move to Manchester City
17:43 to 20:56
Discussion around Mareska's transfer to Manchester City and implications.
“So I can understand why there might have been a bit of nerves as well that made this game, I think quite good to watch, but certainly not in terms of quality.”
Norway's Risky Strategy Against France
20:56 to 22:46
Debate over Norway's decision to field a weaker team against France.
“Jules, I bet you were excited at seeing Norway against France, Holland versus Mbappé.”
Messi's Record and Team Spirit
22:46 to 24:19
Exploration of Messi's record-setting performance and team-first attitude.
“I think actually what he was scared of is getting humped by France with his A-team and then not having the negativity carry over against Ivory Coast.”
Show all 31 chapters
England's Performance Against Panama
24:19 to 26:18
Review of England's match against Panama and the team's dynamics.
“He is now the first person to score in seven consecutive games.”
Cote d'Ivoire and Curacao in the World Cup
26:18 to 28:00
Recap of Cote d'Ivoire's win over Curacao and their strategies.
“Jude, you can do that, at least against a team that defends a lot.”
Germany's World Cup Challenges
28:00 to 28:46
Discussing Germany's struggles heading into the knockout stages.
Muslera's Performance and History
28:46 to 29:31
Exploration of Fernando Muslera's impact on Uruguay's World Cup journey.
“and we'll dissect it most likely they'll be through but who knows Alex Baena scores the only goal with a bit of help from or a lot of help from Fernando Muslera who gets substituted at halftime for Uruguay and Spain.”
Uruguay Under Bielsa
29:31 to 30:19
Analyzing Uruguay's performance and Bielsa's management style.
“First of all, I'm very happy for Alex Baena.”
Belgium's Strong Finish
30:19 to 31:01
Belgium's performance against New Zealand and their prospects ahead.
“I think they were always going to be doomed, and he should have never taken this team into this World Cup.”
Turkey's Surprising Victory
31:01 to 31:59
Discussing Turkey's unexpected win and Pochettino's managerial status.
“You know, when Lukaku is struggling, when De Bruyne has moments, but overall lacks that consistency.”
Pochettino's Future with the USA
31:59 to 34:16
Examining potential contract negotiations with Pochettino post-World Cup.
“Obviously, we can talk about other players, but it's a different United States with Christian Pulisic in the mix.”
Senegal's Historic Victory
35:04 to 36:12
Celebrating Senegal's record-breaking win and their performance.
“That's like asking if all soccer players are the same.”
Portugal's Underwhelming Performance
36:12 to 37:15
Discussing Portugal's struggles and Colombia's potential.
“for the tightest of offsides and have to settle for a 0-0 draw with Portugal.”
Iran's Heartbreaking Exit
37:15 to 38:32
Reflecting on Iran's challenging World Cup journey and missed opportunities.
“Portugal against Croatia, I think this is also very much on a knife edge.”
Sweden's Mixed Performance
38:32 to 39:58
Analyzing Sweden's chances against France and team dynamics.
“Yeah, and Meditaremi was very strong, obviously, in his interview post-match when he said, yeah, for them it'd been a terrible World Cup disaster.”
Tunisia's World Cup Struggles
39:58 to 41:07
Discussing Tunisia's poor performance and coaching changes.
“Graham Potter, you can channel your inner Harry, maybe cast one of those Petrificus Totalus spells on Upamecano and William Saliba when Isak is through.”
Cabo Verde's Surprising Success
41:07 to 42:00
Highlighting Cabo Verde's achievements in the tournament.
“after the defeat in the first game when Sabri Lamushi was on the bench, to the Netherlands 5-1.”
Congo's Remarkable Journey
42:00 to 46:30
Learn about Congo's impressive comeback and their upcoming challenges in the World Cup.
“The only thing that got better with Tunisia whenever Renard replaced Sabri Lamouchi is that they had a better looking man on the sidelines.”
Transfer News: PSG and AC Milan
46:30 to 49:50
Discover the latest transfer updates including Diomande to PSG and Ramos to AC Milan.
“Yeah, I mean, we even reported on ESPN yesterday that the talks between Leipzig and PSG are well advanced now.”
Lewandowski Joins MLS
49:50 to 52:35
Discussion on Lewandowski's move to the MLS and its implications for the league.
“especially on the back of this World Cup where Lewandowski obviously wasn't.”
Lewandowski Joins MLS
53:04 to 53:33
Discussion on Lewandowski's move to the MLS and its implications for the league.
“Listening to this podcast instead of doom scrolling?”
African Teams' World Cup Success
53:33 to 56:00
Analysis of African teams' performance in the World Cup and their historical context.
“Jules, nine of the ten African teams at the World Cup advanced to the knockouts, which means the continent has the best batting average in world football, better than any other confederation.”
Discussion on Qatar's Fan Recruitment Strategy
56:00 to 56:43
Learn about Qatar's approach to increasing attendance at World Cup games.
“to send 1 ,000 people from Qatar to the World Cup games.”
Show Closing and Final Thoughts
57:01 to 57:43
The hosts wrap up the show with positive messages and a preview of the next episode.
“Jewel, is we going to come back and do this all again on Friday?”
Transcript
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0:34The Gavin Jewel Show is presented by Gusto. I'm Gab, he's Jewels. No idea about the weather in London because we're here under the bright sunshine of lower Manhattan Jewels. Yeah, Gab. And we're at the stage where the World Cup is in its knockout phase. We've already had, we already know Canada's into the round of 16. We'll get to them in a little bit. Brazil and Japan just finished through the magic of television and broadcasting and what else. There will be some games that will be played while we are on air, but we'll get to that later. But Jules, we need to start with Brazil and Japan because this was quite the scare for the Selecson.
1:14Julien Laurens:Yeah, it was because they went a goal down in that first half, although they dominated the game, they dominated the ball, they had enough chances to come back earlier than they did. But in the end, it took a Martinelli goal in the 96th minute to win this game and qualify for the last 16. So a bit of a scare, but also I think a lot for them to learn of what happened in this game against Japan. So I am particularly distraught. I was very much in two minds. As you know, I love Carletto Ancelotti, but obviously Japan is the last team I can support in the World Cup. Now they're out. I'm going to have to find somebody else to support, which is annoying.
1:46But in terms of Moriasu, in terms of Japan, I just want to get to them before we get to Brazil. The way they set up, obviously with Japan, you have a lot of energy. you've got a lot of pace, you've got a lot of pressing, you've got Keito Nakamura in form from the wing. It looked to me like the game plan was what it should have been early on. They got the goal through SANA, maybe even somewhat unexpected, but then maybe they dropped off a little too much?
2:14Julien Laurens:Yeah, I thought even from the start, I thought they were too passive. They were there to defend. The block was not too low, to be fair, but that back five, and then the four leaving obviously way down his own up front, which was the system, I get it. But then there's a way of playing that system, which is not the way they played. I was very, very disappointed by what Japan did, or more importantly, what they didn't do, Gab. Two shots on target through the whole game, 35 % of the ball. I think it's five shots all in all. It's not good enough considering the players that they have. And for me, they let far too much control to Brazil.
2:47Julien Laurens:They didn't put enough intensity in the areas that mattered the most. And there's a reason why they've never won a single knockout game in the World Cup, because when you get to that stage, they revert, especially under Moriasu, to these kind of tactics all the time. And again, I don't think that was the right game plan today. Yeah, I mean, we can debate the game plan. It does seem to me, and in general, when you go and you play that way, you're essentially hoping that you're going to nick something on the counter. Somebody's going to make a mistake. because, you know, ultimately you've got the striker up there against Gabriel and Marquinhos in open play.
3:22Danilo's older. Somebody makes a slip. Somebody makes a mistake and you're through. But we know that those are really low percentage tactics against the Brazil side that when you give them so much of the ball, even when you congest the spaces, we saw so many of those crosses coming in, kind of those three-quarter crosses, which you think, all right, they're not great. Zion Suzuki got to a lot of them. but he's not going to get to all of them. And when Brazil have such a physical advantage as well, with the centre-backs coming up, with Casemiro, as we eventually saw, with Matias Cunha as well in the air, the dynamics of the game just change.
4:01Julien Laurens:Yeah, I thought it was far too many. The Mellis from Japan and I think they can play much better football than what they showed today. And that's why I think they have, even themselves, have to be disappointed by how the game went. Obviously, it's never nice when you consider a winner like that in the 96th minute when you thought you could get at least two extra time. But things, Brazil would have scored in extra time anyway. This game was never going to go to penalties. Japan was not doing anything, even with the substitutions that were, by the way, more defensive than anything else. Again, added to that, let's invite the pressure on us even more.
4:33Julien Laurens:And I just don't really understand why, because I really think they have the players to play a much better brand of football than they did today. And they have to be fair. against the Dutch, for example, earlier in this tournament. Against Germany in the last World Cup. Yeah, for example, as well. But then it seems that when they get to this stage, maybe it's the nerves, maybe it's the expectations or the pressure, but they seem to very often revert to this kind of defensive game plan and tactics that, one, I don't think suit them that much because you inevitably invite crosses to come in. And that's exactly what happened.
5:01Julien Laurens:And you're right, they dealt with most of them well. But the one ball from Gabriel where the marking was not great, the line wasn't great, Suzuki was maybe, Again, a bit passive and Casemiro scores are not 1-1. There's always going to be just one winner. All right, let's get to Brazil. Carlo Ancelotti went with, I think, what at this time he feels is his best lineup with the packet in the middle of the park. I think once we got to halftime, he probably thought, and obviously he made that change, Hendrik for Paqueta. That's probably a case of, I don't need the packet out there because there's no passing lanes for him.
5:37There's not much space for him to play in. Vinicius can try to attack the depth, but there just isn't much depth for him to attack. So he puts on Hendrik. If you want to be super cynical, Jules, it's also like, if I'm going to go out, let me go out with a striker all of Brazil wants to see out there. Sorry, the other striker all of Brazil wants to see out there other than Neymar. But suddenly you have another body in there, and you have that kind of 4-2-4, which we saw in the second half of the Haiti game and some of the other games. Brazil has played in this World Cup.
6:09Julien Laurens:Yeah, I mean, Paqueta was injured. I think the core of the substitution is the injury, really. But for Hendrik to come where he didn't really seem to trust him before in a group stage of this game, for example, because he was not in the first sub to come on, was maybe a bit strange. And in the end, Hendrik, I think, was there in the box to be a nuisance. Didn't really do that much, to be fair. The Martinelli change, to be fair, for Cunha, is the one that surprised me the most. and I was a bit like, not sure about this move, but it actually worked out. But the ball from Bruno Guimaraes to Martinelli on the winning goal is the ball that Paqueta is the one that should provide those balls.
6:46Julien Laurens:And now with the injury, we're not sure if he'll be back for the last 16 games, for example. But I've been disappointed by Paqueta because the second phase of the game is for Casemiro very much, but more importantly, Bruno Guimaraes, I get that. In the third phase, especially around that zone 14, this is where Paqueta should really be in control. and for me he's been missing again today in his first half. I think the issue here, we don't need to talk endlessly about Paqueta, but Paqueta becomes so important also because Rafinha's injured. And right now you realize that Brazil, for all their history, for all their passing prowess, if you're talking about people who can unlock defenses and give you that kind of creativity, it's really Paqueta and Rafinha.
7:28Obviously Rafinha lined up on the wing earlier, but we know that he can also play a 10 and he's done that very well in the past and he's done that for Brazil. If Paqueta doesn't recover,
7:37Julien Laurens:there's kind of like a big hole there in that role. Yeah, although I thought they were quite disciplined through the whole game. I mean, again, when you have almost 70 % of the ball, it's easy to be. But in transition, apart from the goal, which is a bad goal to concede, they were not too bad. But then again, I thought at times they pressed okay in the first half, maybe less so in the second half. And the balance of the team, I think Ryan brings you a lot of balance on that right-hand side. He's a hard-working winger with a great left foot. And I think this, it's not that I don't miss Rafinha, but I think this is working for them.
8:08Julien Laurens:The question is, if Paqueta can play in the next game, which would be a tough game, he's a very cost of Norway, now for Brazil in the last 16. I'd be very interested to see where Carlo Ancelotti goes on how you replace Paqueta. If it's like for kind of a similar player, a slightly more defensive player, and push Bruno a bit higher, because I still think that Casemiro needs some help. and again today, despite the goal, great goal and the celebration, for the rest I'm still not sure about Casemiro in this World Cup either. Better in the second half, no? Yeah, because they had even more of the ball than in the first half but there's many times where things go too quick for him and that could be a problem against a team like Ivory Coast or Norway who won't play like Japan played today for example, so there's a lot of thinking I think for Carlo to do before the next game if Paqueta is not okay, I think the substitutions worked really well today and I have to say this is for me the most positive thing for Brazilian Carlo Ancelotti as well as qualifying obviously is that he uses subs really well.
9:07Julien Laurens:Yeah, on the issue of the subs, we talk about value add, we talk about managers making big decisions. There's no question in my mind that if he makes the Martinelli for Cunha substitution all of a sudden you're taking off a guy who's an aerial threat, a guy who's a center forward for a guy who's a winger in a game where there is no real space for wingers other than delivering in crosses, and if they go out and lose that game or get knocked out on penalties or whatever, this becomes a defining moment and Carletto gets slaughtered. I mean, would you say that's right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because Martinelli played central.
9:38Julien Laurens:So he was not a winger in this game at all. He was central. He was a center forward. Who's not a center forward. Yeah, yeah. I mean, you have Martinelli and Casemiro, neither of whom is a center forward, effectively playing center forward. Yeah, yeah. Although the goal, the Martinelli goal is a center forward, like super goal, really. but the thing is you would have to okay maybe Igor Thiago then with the size and the strength could be in there for all the crosses and Carlos said it was clearly the game plan in the second half was to put all those balls in the box as much as possible and to be said to some extent he worked on both goals really but I think it was really interesting that clearly Ancelotti felt okay Igor Thiago maybe after that first game against Morocco we won't see Igor Thiago again in this World Cup anyway.
10:18Julien Laurens:But certainly that Martinelli with a different profile was maybe more needed for this end of the game. That's what I love about this. When managers make decisions that are counterintuitive. If AI had been managing Brazil, we would have seen Igor Teado, right? No, we would have seen... Yeah, maybe. Well, no, because it's the logical thing, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, it would have been. And he's gone into different directions as well. I mean, you say Paqueta was injured. The guy always seems to be injured after he gets substituted, but whatever. We'll find out how injured he really was. But they always seem to be these kind of counterintuitive moves that I think set great managers apart.
10:56And then when they blow up in their face, and we've seen it with Pep many times, then they get slaughtered for it. So they're putting their own rep, they're putting their own cred on the line. For the next game, we're in agreement. The two options are either some, assuming Rafinha's not back, and we don't expect him to be.
11:13Julien Laurens:No, I don't think he'll be. If Paqueta's not fit, if Paqueta's fit, we expect him to play. If he doesn't play, it's either some version of the 4-2-4, 4-4-2, call it what you like, that we've seen, or the alternative is adding a midfielder. Now, if you add a midfielder, you talked about pushing Bruno Guimaraes a little further forward, but then you're also in a situation where you have to put in Fabinho. Or is there somebody else that I'm forgetting about? No, no, no. I think Fabinho, Danilo came on late tonight, this afternoon. I think the idea would be Fabinho and Casemiro, which to be fair, between them two, it's a lot of experience.
11:50Julien Laurens:And with their legs, it's the experience, and they probably, you know, would play well with each other. And then you've got Bruno as a 10, Ryan stays on the right, Vinny obviously on the left, who could have scored one of the goals of the tournament without that one, the save by Suzuki and then the post. And then obviously Cunha as your nine, unless Martinelli has convinced Carlo to give him a start, which again I think he will be super Serb like Hendrik and coming off the bench will be better for him so I would think that right now with Ford I think the game is on Sunday so why are we today Gabi?
12:24Julien Laurens:Today is Monday. Monday so there's a bit of time to prepare for that game on Sunday but I would think if Paqueta can be fit probably the likely option would be Fabinho and Casemiro in the field. Yeah I think it'll probably also depend on who the opponent is of course. Word on Vini, though, because I had to do my group stage 11, which for the Strykers was kind of easy. For the center-backs, kind of difficult. And I'm sure people will go and disagree with it. But you know what? You're fine. You can disagree. I had two Brazil players in there. One was Vini. And again, today, I have to say, this does not look like the Vini of Real Madrid.
13:06Even when he struggles, it seems like after the first game, he seems more involved. He seems more willing to help out. And he obviously can have those moments of magic like the one where Zion lived up to his name and basically wiped out what would have been maybe the best goal we've seen in the World Cup so far.
13:26Julien Laurens:Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, it was hard against the Spark 5, and that blocked for him to find space. Even the passing lanes were cut. It was difficult. It was never really one-on-one. but the moment where he had a bit of that time i mean the first touch on that chance the chance on the post and it's a the first touch and nutmeg is just a piece of genius really and after that the dribbling is great so he's there he'll be disappointed that today he didn't really participate actively in the win in terms of goals and assists really that's what we're talking about because i think he was always a threat there and that's what that's why it's the most important here that he's in the game but a bit like for neymar neymar didn't come on today i think if If they'd gone to extra time, he would have come on.
14:07Julien Laurens:If they'd been winning the game, he would have come on. But the fact that he was a tie for so long, then obviously that pushed Carlo, I think, to leave Neymar on the bench, and then there was the winner anyway. So we didn't get to see Neymar probably more for the next game, again, if needed. But for Vinny, I think he showed again today, without being his best game of the tournament, how important he still is in this team. My other Brazilian player in the group stage 11 is Bruno Guimarães. You may not have had him, but that's not absurd. No, but it's absurd. All right. I'll be dotting these throughout the show, if I remember.
14:39We're going to be back with Quick Hits on the Gab and Joe Show, presented by Gusto.
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16:52Alright, enough Brazil. Jules, how about some quick hits instead? Let's go, Gab. Steven Oestakio strikes an injury time to send Canada past South Africa and into the round of 16. Jules, this was far from straightforward for Jesse Marsh's crew against the surprising Bafana Bafana.
17:07Julien Laurens:Yeah, I mean, I love the energy that there was in that game. I love the intentions that were very positive. There was a lack of composure, probably due to the lack of quality of the 22 players on the pitch. sure. All 22 players, lack of quality. Do I need to send Fonzie now to round to your house? I mean, Fonzie came on late and was not that good either. Jonathan Davids was not that good either. But the idea is that maybe the nerves got to both teams because it was a massive game for both of them. You know, South Africa, to be in that position is incredible for them. Great achievement. Canada, the same.
17:40Julien Laurens:They've never been there. They've never qualified. They've never been further. So I can understand why there might have been a bit of nerves as well that made this game, I think quite good to watch, but certainly not in terms of quality. The quality came late. The Eri Oztakio goal in the 91st or 92nd minutes. That really made that win, but he's such a great player. And talking about composure, he found that first touch, a bit of space, and then the composure that was lacking for a lot of that game in those kind of areas for both teams, he found it. Quite the finish. Enzo Mareska is officially the Manchester City new manager.
18:15Julien Laurens:Chelsea will receive compensation from both City and Mareska himself. That's not a surprise, Gab, but what might be a surprise is his apology. Yeah, that's kind of surprising. Also, that very long and detailed statement from Chelsea, kind of explaining how Mareska had his mind elsewhere during his time at Chelsea. I mean, his apology. I'm going to quote here. At the end of December 2025, I made the difficult decision to leave Chelsea. The decision was only mine. My resignation from Chelsea opened a path for me to join Manchester City, which is a club I know very well from the two years he spent there.
18:53As an assistant. Yeah, and under-21s coach. I don't want to be cynical about this, but it's kind of hard not. So I'm going to say a bunch of things here. This may be what's written. This may be what everybody agrees to say. The compensation, by the way, a lot bigger than what BBC had reported even anticipated. Now people are saying it's$17 million. This is the case, like we said last time. Well done, Chelsea. Because you managed to remove the manager and I stand by it. I think the situation, my understanding of the situation for Madeska Chelsea was that it had reached a point where it was kind of untenable for him to continue.
19:36We can say both parties, I think more one party than the other. The stupid thing, and here I think Maresca was badly advised, is that whether because of money, whether it's because of Borrells, whether because Chelsea played this brilliantly, and maybe they did, it turned into one of those mutual consent situations, which then gave them leverage over City. There's a lot of stuff that we don't know here. There's a lot of stuff that's speculation. like for example was Pep already 100 % irreversible that he was going back in December Pep has changed his mind in the past I don't know has the ink dried we don't know could this have been handled differently if Chelsea if the relationship between Chelsea and Maresca had been a little bit different at that stage might Maresca have stuck around might Chelsea qualify for the Champions League I mean he messed up the season for sure to part ways with him
20:31Julien Laurens:Whoever was responsible, that messed up the season. Yeah, and I will say this, that£17 million compensation, if that is in fact what it is, and that's been widely reported in the UK, that is some of the best transfer business that Chelsea have done since the new ownership took over. Yeah, plus some money from Maresca to Chelsea as well. Which, of course, isn't really money from Maresca because he's just going to get more money. He's going to get more money from City. Yeah, from City as well. Jules, I bet you were excited at seeing Norway against France, Holland versus Mbappé. Yes. Instead, you got to see Norway be against France.
21:05Both teams are qualified. One of them figured it was a good time to make changes.
21:10Julien Laurens:I travel all the way to Boston from New York City, four hours on the train, which was lovely, by the way. I'm not complaining at all. And then I get there, and I'm being told Holland is on the bench. But not just Holland on the bench. Odegaard as well. And Nusa. And Sander Berger. And him. And him. And him. And I was like, okay, 10 changes. 10 changes. From Stalist-Solbacan. Listen, I didn't mind. France won that game. Dembele scored. Mbappe assisted him. France wanted to top the group because it was then easier for them with all the games in the East Coast, the round of 32, and then potentially the last 16, the quarterfinals.
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21:46Julien Laurens:So they were super happy to win this game to finish top of the group. However, I think one, I can't really remember a game where you still could top your group and decide to play your B team, regardless of the opposition, like Norway just did. I think it adds pressure on Norway now, before the round of 32 game against Ivory Coast and on Solbaken, to not mess it up, because the explanation, the justification was, yeah, I made 10 changes to raise my players for the round of 32, which is the most important game. Sure, I'm with you here. But if you lose to Ivory Coast, which is possible, because they're a very good team, then you're going to look silly.
22:22You're going to look very silly. You send a message that we're so weak against France. There's nothing that we can do. And look, France are probably better than Norway. I personally, I don't like it in this situation at all. I think he made a big mistake psychologically. There's sports science behind it. The resting. I mean, how tired were they really from the previous games? I don't know. I thought it was a cop-out. I think actually what he was scared of is getting humped by France with his A-team and then not having the negativity carry over against Ivory Coast. And by the way, Jules, listen, I know you're not being proud enough for a Frenchman for that performance.
23:02Ousmane Dembele. I'm not saying he was the guy missing from the front four, but, bro, he shows up. Effortless goals. Effortless goals. Two of them seem to be identical. He makes it look so easy. We can see why he won the Ballon d 'Or. He seems to be the quietest of that front four in terms of public profile and whatever else. But you're just kind of reminded, hey, it's not just Olisse and Desiree Douai and Mbappe. This dude's in there too.
23:30Julien Laurens:Yeah, yeah, and he scored and assisted already in the game before, so his workup had started. But then he took it to another level with a hat-trick. Three goals in 25 minutes, an XG of 0.2 combined for the three goals. That's how good those goals were in terms of how he scored them. And I'm glad that his World Cup has started. I've got a piece up on the website on Dembele and just what happened in the last few days around him and that Norway game. So I just hope that this was only the beginning. Sweden up next for France. Jules and I will be there. Yeah, me too. Plenty of changes for Argentina against an already eliminated Jordan Gab.
24:04Julien Laurens:But they still win 3-1 and Lionel Messi comes off the bench and scores with a sneaky free kick. Yeah, let's get the Messi stuff out of the way. By the way, I guess he's not tired, right? He can come out. Well, he doesn't run much anyway. Oh, yeah, true. But he set a record. And by the way, this is, I think, an interesting attitude towards record. He is now the first person to score in seven consecutive games. Now, just think about this for a minute. You're 2-1 up against Jordan. You decide, hey, Leo, do you want to come on? He's like, oh, sure, Leo, because it's Leo talking to Leonel. He comes on.
24:37He doesn't know that he's going to score in the last 20, 30 minutes. Does he care about his record, that he can set a new record? No, he doesn't. No? He puts the team first. He says, oh, yeah, sure, I'll have a run around against Jordan. And then he scores. I just think there's a different attitude when it comes to Lionel Messi towards all these records that we all obsess over. Not much to learn there, other than the fact that there's a reason why they call him Ballon d 'Or Lautaro. He may never win it, but he will be Ballon d 'Or in my heart. No, honestly, you guys. That's good. I love the fight that is Ballon d 'Or in your heart.
25:06That's for sure. Last World Cup, he lost his place to the spider, Alvarez. Alvarez, other things in his mind. There's no question. It is Lautaro in this World Cup. Long may it continue. England find two second-half goals to down Panama 2-0. Jules, they win the group and DR Congo up next. But maybe this wasn't the greatest performance. And Panama turned out to be better than many expected, even if they're going home. I think we do need to give them a shout-out.
25:30Julien Laurens:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And Tomás Christensen is doing a really good job there. It's difficult. It's obviously a small country. but they play quite nice football. They moved the ball really well. They were very defensive with a back five against England, a bit like what we saw with Ghana. But certainly, once they got the ball, they showed a bit of intention and that was really good for England. They were always going to find a way at some point in the second half. Panama could not defend like that for the whole 90 minutes and they eventually did with Jude Bellingham, the star of the show.
26:00Julien Laurens:Once again, there's a lot of issues with that England team that might be resolved when they play a better side later in the tournament. But the game against Congo in this run of 32 will be very similar to what they face against Ghana where they never found a solution and found a way to breaking down that defense. That would be a tricky game for them unless they score early. Did you like the Bellingham playing deeper? Obviously, no Declan Rice in this game. Jude, you can do that, at least against a team that defends a lot. You can do that and you can be the man of the match. And I think for your career, this may be the best solution, certainly club level.
26:31Julien Laurens:Cote d 'Ivoire, Bill Curacao, 2-0 to advance. Gab, you were there. It's Norway up next now for the Havarians, as we mentioned earlier. And we say goodbye to Dick Advocat and the Islanders. Yeah, a word on Curacao first. Some little teams enter this tournament saying, we're going to go and we're going to pack the box, play everybody behind the ball, hope for the best. We're just a tiny nation. Nobody blames us for it. And then there's Curacao. Dick Advocat is like, no, I'm ditched. This is not how we play. My friend Johan Cruyff wouldn't approve. and they go out there and they try to play. And they play.
27:03And I think Cote d 'Ivoire, I don't think they were expecting this because they created chances. Cote d 'Ivoire could have scored a lot more. They're a much better team. At one point, a little too many flicks and tricks, big Harlan Globetrotters. When it was at 1-0, I'm thinking to myself, wait a minute, does Cote d 'Ivoire now, they want to put this game to breast, score the second goal, get this over and done with, eventually comes to Nicolas Pepe. Well done, Cote d 'Ivoire. They're really good. Curaçao, you leave the World Cup with your heads held high. and also a record breaker and goalkeeper Eloy Ruhm for those 15 saves in the previous game.
27:35So, well done, Curaçao. Ecuador are also through, coming from behind to beat Germany 2-1. Jules, Germany had topped their group, but were you surprised that Julian Nagelsmann did not rotate? And was that a bit of a mistake?
27:50Julien Laurens:Yeah, I was very surprised that the only two changes they made were due to injuries for Brown and Schlotterbeck, obviously. for the rest it was exactly the same team that didn't not just play the second game but also the first game I thought Dennis Hundav for example deserved a start I thought other players deserved as well to have this chance considering there was nothing to play for for Germany and in the end you end up losing, Manuel Neuer makes another mistake so now we're questioning him and his form and why he's in this team you question the lack of rotation from Nagelsmann and you're going into this round of 32 game against Paraguay which again we know what Paraguay are going to do they're going to park not just the bus but also the plane and the car and the tube and the subway and everything you want and make it difficult for Germany and they're a physical team too and they should still qualify Germany sure no problem but I don't think this is ideal going into this game by the time you hear this of course Germany could be out of the World Cup in which we'll have some schadenfreude and we'll dissect it most likely they'll be through but who knows Alex Baena scores the only goal with a bit of help from or a lot of help from Fernando Muslera who gets substituted at halftime for Uruguay and Spain.
28:58Julien Laurens:Be Uruguay to win their group. Gab, Austria up next for Luis de la Fuente and his players. Yeah, Fernando Muslera. So, Mano Neuer, not the worst 40-year-old goalkeeper at this World Cup in that last game. Muslera's been terrible throughout this world. Muslera, who I discovered, I didn't know this, but he was born on the day that Diego Armando Maradona scored the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup. And also the time that God intervened to move the ball into Peter Shilton's net. Yeah, so 40 years ago that was. 40 years ago. Did it help him here? No, he should have retired a long time ago.
29:30I have to say this. First of all, I'm very happy for Alex Baena. He was a player who's had a difficult time this season. I admire him. I don't know what combination De La Fuente is going to pull out of his hat going forward. He has so many options. He seems to be more settled at the back, of course. Cucurea, there you go. That was my left back on my team of the group stage. I have to say this about Uruguay. it's a sad way for Bielsa to end we know he's an odd guy he behaved oddly afterwards he behaved oddly before Canobio living up to every Uruguayan stereotype in history getting sent off, grabbing the referee's shirt I think he would be in for a long ban I don't think we would ever see him again in the World Cup they got a rebuild but basically on Bielsa I'm kind of sad to a point this was a bad match and he should have known it
30:20Julien Laurens:started well, started really well And then as soon as they spent a bit of time with him at the Copa America two years ago, and saw how difficult it was to be around Marcelo Bielsa, who I don't think can manage players like that anymore. I think they were always going to be doomed, and he should have never taken this team into this World Cup. He should have been sacked before, and they should have changed managers. Leandro Rosar soars twice and hits the woodwork as Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1. Jules, they needed a big win to finish first. Senegal up next. Yeah, I mean, they got a big win against New Zealand.
30:54Julien Laurens:That was really never in doubt. But Trossard? No, not really. 3-1? No, Trossard has been the best player for them. You know, when Lukaku is struggling, when De Bruyne has moments, but overall lacks that consistency. And I think Trossard on the back of a really good end of the season with Arsenal is that guy. Doku obviously went back home. We said that before to be there for the birth of his son.
31:21Julien Laurens:and then came back, they will be ready to go for the Senegal round of 32 game. However, this is probably the strongest opponent that they would have faced in this World Cup. And considering how bad they've been so far, I'm a bit worried for them. Yeah, I don't think they're advancing against Senegal if they continue playing at this level or unless Doku pulls something out of his backside. The United States had already secured first place in their group. Turkey were already eliminated when they faced each other. So Marcel Pochettino made a number of changes. Gab, were you surprised that Turkey won 3-2?
31:54Julien Laurens:And is Bosnia up next for the USA? Yeah, look, two different issues here. I mean, first of all, it was good to see Pulisic coming back, coming on as a sub. I thought he looked sharp. Obviously, we can talk about other players, but it's a different United States with Christian Pulisic in the mix. Turkey, it's interesting because they've said, Vincenzo Montella offered his resignation. They've said, no, we want to continue with Montella. They took more than 60 shots in their first two games. I think that this group of players said, you know what? We're not just going to slink off home. We're going to go and we're going to show some pride in this last game.
32:32I think it's important. I think it's encouraging. This is a really good generation of young Turkish players. Whether they end up continuing Montella or not, That's not going to go away. And I think in future Euros and World Cups, we're going to hear the likes of Arda Goulair. By the way, how about that? Not Meg. And Ken and Yildiz talk about the lessons that they learned. Sure. Speaking of Pochettino, the athletic reports that the United States Soccer Federation has offered him a four-year contract. Although, with a catch, they're only going to decide until after the World Cup if they're actually going to offer him that contract.
33:08So it's kind of like, hey Jules, if I decide to give you a contract, this is what the contract's going to look like. Does this make any kind of sense to you?
33:15Julien Laurens:No, I mean, we reported, which I think is far more important than what they reported on the website, that the talks were very positive between US soccer and Marcio Pochettino at this stage. So yes, we'll have to wait until the end of the tournament wherever the USA stop, whether it's in this final of 32, the last 16, the quarterfinals, you know, whatever. And then after that, they will continue their talks or restart their talks if you want. But certainly the positive in it where both parties, if the World Cup goes well, and I guess that's at least the last 16, then I think there's probably a desire from both parts to continue.
33:50I think it's critical that you leave this if the World Cup goes well because I don't know what you can learn from the opponents that the United States has faced so far from their performances. This is coming after a defeat. And the other big elephant in the room, it's not just a question of, if we do well, are we going to want to continue? Because if they do well, if the US wins the World Cup or gets the semifinals, he's going to have offers from big European clubs, and it's going to be more expensive to keep him on if that's what you want to do. But also, there's the other thing about how are you going to pay him?
34:24Ken Griffin, through his donation to the foundation, paid for it. Does he want to keep paying for him for going forward? So there's a lot of... They really have a plan because they've made the offer already. Yeah, but I would just question, does it make sense that you need to be talking during a World Cup? Surely, if this is the plan, you could have presented, because it's totally non-binding for the other side, you could have presented it before the World Cup. Legally, we can't say drinking Storm makes you smarter and more focused. But with zero sugar, 200 milligrams of caffeine, and immunity support, you're smarter and more focused for drinking Storm.
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35:34Julien Laurens:Iraq go down to 10 men after 12 minutes against Senegal and they and Senegal run riot and win five nil gab this was only ever going to end that way yes and Senegal becoming the first African team to score five in a World Cup which I think is impressive Pap Gay coming on because scoring two goals it's Belgium next we've already told you I think back to the Senegal of the first half of the opening game against France. And I think to myself, if that's Senegal, if we see them in the knockouts, they're going to go really, really, really far because we were both there. They put France to the sword for those 45 minutes.
36:12Colombia have the injury time three-pointer disallowed for the tightest of offsides and have to settle for a 0-0 draw with Portugal. Jules, have we been sleeping on the Cafeteros a little bit? And Portugal still looking like less than some of their parts.
36:25Julien Laurens:Yeah, I mean, Portugal are still very disappointing again. I mean, we've gone beyond Cristiano now. We've said that to you many, many times before. But even that midfield, even Joao Felix on the left-hand side, even to an extent Neto on the right-hand side as well. I think there's so, so much more work to do from Roberto Martinez, who I still keep thinking, I wonder if he's the right guy for this job anyway, for what looks like his last competition with Portugal. For Colombia, you're right. I think even with Munoz on the bench, which was a bit surprising, and the old Santiago Arias are right back.
37:00Julien Laurens:Worked really well. That collective is strong. The individual are strong. It's a team that you would not want to face later in the tournament. Yeah, and Colombia, of course, have Ghana next, which I think is beatable from what we've seen, especially if Ghana decide not to shoot on goal in the first half. It's sometimes not to do. Portugal against Croatia, I think this is also very much on a knife edge. Iran, we're hoping for a spot in the knockout. Instead, the 1-1 draw with Egypt means that they go out in the most dramatic and cruel way, Gab. Yeah, I was there in Seattle, Jules. It was pretty remarkable.
37:32Obviously, the whole pre-game thing, the pre-revolutionary flag, the booing of the anthem. Once the game started, though, I can tell you 100%, all the Iran fans were supporting Iran. And once it became clear that Egypt were going to go through, a lot of the Egypt fans were too. It was pretty remarkable. So many things Iran couldn't control in this World Cup. One thing they could control was that penalty, which Medhi Taremi ended up having saved. I feel he must be absolutely gutted. But, of course, it's the ending to that game, which stands out deep in injury time. That VAR call, the correct VAR call in the end, a toenail offside.
38:11But that's heartbreaking. Even on television it is. And then Zatolahi, the ball coming across, his header off the top of the crossbar, and then having to sit there and look at the results the next day, Uzbekistan losing, and then the draw with Algeria, and then the other draw, and you realize they're going home.
38:32Julien Laurens:Yeah, and Meditaremi was very strong, obviously, in his interview post-match when he said, yeah, for them it'd been a terrible World Cup disaster. No team should ever be treated in a way. I don't know if treated is the right word, but in the way that they've been treated for this World Cup. But, you know, their coach afterwards, he said, the rest of the world fell in love with Iran. Yeah, true. Iran as in the players, Iran as in the people. I don't think Iran as in the government or anything political. But when you look at a tournament where you've got players who are hamstrung and have to play in these horrendous conditions, and the other 47 teams do not, you realize this isn't fair.
39:13This isn't golf. They shouldn't be playing with a handicap. Japan and Sweden battle to a 1-1 draw, which means they both advance. We've been hard on Sweden, but Zion Suzuki had to make some big saves of late. How do you see Graham Potter's crew against France?
39:28Julien Laurens:Some Potter magic? Yeah, I mean, they would have to find some sort of magic from somewhere, whether it's Isak or Jocherest or Elanga or Ayari in midfield. They obviously have good players. I'm not sure about that back five, to be fair, especially against the France front four. But maybe a set piece, maybe for once defending well, because they've also been considering goals against everybody that they played against, including Tunisia. So we'll have to see on paper. They're obviously massive underdogs. But, yeah, I'm a bit wary, especially of the Isak factor. Graham Potter, you can channel your inner Harry, maybe cast one of those Petrificus Totalus spells on Upamecano and William Saliba when Isak is through.
40:10And then that's a way of winning, too.
40:13Julien Laurens:Jordan Boss is Boss, but he finishes nil-nil between Paraguay and Australia. Australia, Paraguay, Kubiai, by the time you probably listen to this, while Australia go on to face Egypt, Gab. Yeah, I don't think Australia had been great in this World Cup at all. I think Egypt have been getting better as a World Cup, although we'll see some of the injuries, of course, that they picked up against the Iran game. Afterwards, Osama's son says, oh no, I think Salah's going to be okay. We'll see. I mean, he has to come off every game. That's not so good, but they do have Marmouche look sharp after sticking it up in previous games.
40:46I see Egypt as favorites in this one. I'm assuming you do too.
40:49Julien Laurens:Yeah, massively, yeah. No Everonard magic as Holland beat Tunisia 3-1 to top the group. They may or may not still be in the World Cup by the time you listen to this. But Jules, this is your chance to tell us how badly Tunisia screwed up this tournament. Yeah, I mean, one of the worst ever participation in the World Cup. I think for Harvey Renard, who, remember, came on as the head coach after the defeat in the first game when Sabri Lamushi was on the bench, to the Netherlands 5-1.
41:19Julien Laurens:Herve Renard took two games in charge here. Tunisia were worse under him than they were in the first game under La Mouchy. He managed to make this team worse than what they were when he got there. I mean, I think for somebody, everybody in France was saying, well, he's got nothing to lose. You know, it's only a win-win for him. He's going to go there, make this team better, etc. I think he tarnished his own legacy, tarnished his own name, He tarnished his own career as a brilliant national team head coach for everything that he did before, especially on the African continent. And I think it's an absolute shame for him to have accepted that job in the first place, for Tunisia to have decided to change managers after just one game, head coaches after just one game.
42:00Julien Laurens:And everybody will remember this World Cup, certainly on that side, like the Ever-Renard disaster class. The only thing that got better with Tunisia whenever Renard replaced Sabri Lamouchi is that they had a better looking man on the sidelines. That's it. No goes between Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde, which means that Vosinha and his teammates advance. That's right. And so more miracles from Cabo Verde. This is really impressive. Of course, it's Lionel Messi and Ballon d 'Or Lautaro and Julian Alvarez up next. So we'll see where it goes with Argentina. They never go home. I think it's pretty remarkable.
42:34Stranger things have happened. All right, you heard it here first. Johan Wiesa wins and converts a penalty and then scores another as Congo come from behind to get the win they need against Uzbekistan, 3-1. England next to them, Jules. But this is a team that's been through so much penalty kicks, stuff like that, playoffs. They never give up.
42:52Julien Laurens:I am not writing them off. No, and you shouldn't really. And they will be a big test for England in terms of how well they will be organized, how physical they will be. that back five, the low block, everything that you expect from Congo will be there. They have talented players, of course, players who play in the Premier League, like Wisa, like Wan-Bissaka, for example. They've got experience, they've got youth. And it's a very interesting team that 52 years after the last time they participate into a World Cup. Even the country was called a different... It was not even RD Congo, it was Zaire at the time, to show you how far they've gone and how long he's been between the two times they take part in this World Cup.
43:32Julien Laurens:It's a wonderful story, and we wish them, obviously, all the luck that they can. Well, unless you support England, in which case you want them to screw up. Nicolas Vlasic scores the winner as Croatia pass Ghana 2-1 to finish second in their group behind England. Gab, both advance. It's Colombia for the Black Stars and Portugal for Croatia, as we mentioned. Yeah, and look, at least Ghana took shots on goal in the first half of this game, which is a positive thing. Ghana need to kick it up several notches. I have to say, like, I see if they play like this against Colombia, I don't think they have a chance.
44:05Or rather, if they do, they have it in a very grinded-out type game. I'm looking forward to that. I think they could have done more against Croatia. They didn't. My man picked our Suchic coming up big. Nice goal. This is now his team, yeah? Or is it still Modric's team?
44:18Julien Laurens:I mean, there's two Suchic as well, so I'm not sure which one you're talking about. Peter, the one who scored. Come on. The good one. Come on, man. And Vlasic, the smallest guy on the pitch with the header. Who would have sunk that? Croatia against Portugal. I love this. Modric against Cristiano. Story writes itself. The 3-3 draw between Algeria and Austria means they both go through. But Jules, this was a wild ending. I guess there was no revenge. Algeria didn't feel the need for revenge after 44 years. Well, they almost knocked out Austria this time around. Not like in 1982, obviously. If you don't know about what happened in that group stage, in that group, in that World Cup, go and check it out.
44:54Julien Laurens:And when Nadia went 2-1 up, sorry, they thought that was it. and then Kalajic, of all people, the guy who's been the most unlucky with injuries in the last three years or so, coming big, and he's big, and he's tall, with a header, obviously, because he scores most of his goals with a header, to make it 2-2, which knocked out Iran, as we mentioned earlier, qualified Austria for the next run. I mean, crazy stuff if you were an Austria fan. And that stupid goal where the ball comes off the corner kick is pretty wild stuff. Algeria are less in the sum of their parts, Jules. If they come together, I give them a shot, more than a shot, against Switzerland, who tend to do great in the group stage and then screw the pooch later.
45:35Austria against Spain, there's going to need to be an awful lot of Rangnick in that one for Austria to get through.
45:42Julien Laurens:Gab, this format with the top third place finishers advancing means some teams who play later in the competition have the advantage of knowing what result they need to get to go through. Were you happy with that? Were you OK with that? and others had to wait a long time to find out if they were through, for example, as well, and so with the fans. Yeah, look, it's suboptimal, but this is what you get when you have third-place finishers. For people who say it's unfair, bro, win your games, be happy that you get kind of that third-place safety net. Win your games early, and then you don't got to worry about third-place finishers.
46:15That's all I have to say. There's no other format with 48 teams. So you want to go to 64 like some people do? All right, let's cross that bridge. But otherwise, at 48, this is the best you're going to get. Let's talk transfers. Fabrizio Romano and others report that Jan Diomande has chosen Paris Saint-Germain ahead of other suitors, Jules.
46:34Julien Laurens:Yeah, I mean, we even reported on ESPN yesterday that the talks between Leipzig and PSG are well advanced now. Diomande has already agreed pretty much a five-year contract with PSG, only a few details to sort out. And considering the relationship between PSG and Leipzig, between the two presidents who work very closely and like each other a lot, and they're on the ECA board together, then I think this one will happen. As a PSG fan, obviously, as you can imagine, I'm delighted that Jan Diomondi is joining the W European Champions. It's great. Luis Enrique, who spoke to Diomondi already, has played, I think, a big part in also convincing him to choose PSG ahead of a team like Liverpool, for example, who are also very keen on the Ivorian winger.
47:18Julien Laurens:So this is great. I think Magnès Acrioush is also on his way. Gonzalo Ramos as we will mention next has gone Kangin Lee is the next one to go I think it's a very exciting summer if you're a PSG fan So basically there is With Ramos going there is no plans to bring in another If you want natural number 9 We're still going to have Oh there is You want to get a real number 9 as well On top of everything else Yeah I think there's still like a Kruppi type Or Alvarez type The richest get richer I know man And meanwhile Gavaz has just mentioned Gonzalo Ramos He's on his way to AC Milan for a fee that could go as high as€80 million.
47:57Julien Laurens:That's right, 8-0. All right, there's some really smart people in Milan who I know, and there's a lot of less smart people in Milan. Who I also know? Who I also know, despite all the people who've left. I don't like this deal. I'm not a Gonzalo Ramos guy. I think he's a good center forward, but he is not the kind of goal scorer that they're looking for. He does other things as well. I don't understand why. Gab, who agreed to pay that amount of money? The money is stupid. How old is he now? He's also like, what, 26, 27? Yeah, 27. I think it's rising to 80 million. I think down there putting 55.
48:38But it's still a stupid amount of money. Also, he's coming from Paris Saint-Germain, which means he's going to have a big salary and then you're going to have to increase that even more. I just genuinely don't understand the logic here and you know why I know people are going to tie agents together and the fact that the manager now is Ruben Amarim he doesn't even seem right for Ruben Amarim's system I'm sorry Ruben Amarim was good in the 3-4-2-1 his center forward what was his name? Victor Yokeris Victor Yokeris is the size of a building Gonzalo Ramos is smallish and kind of slow I mean not slow slow but he's not quick he's not fast over distance.
49:15He's a different profile. What the hell are we doing here? What do you do? Play Gonzalo Ramos at number 10? And then ditch Leal? Okay, fine. Are you going to find a taker for Leal? Are you going to play him at centre-forward? I don't. Whatever. Whatever. I'm sorry. I'm not even a Milan fan, but when I see these things, I can't contain myself.
49:31Julien Laurens:I think they've overpaid. It might not be a bad signing. I think they've overpaid for sure, but it'll be interesting to see how he does in Serie A and in that system. How can he possibly do better than Nicolas Falkrug? Robert Lewandowski on his way to the Chicago Fire, Jules. How do you see him getting on in Major League Soccer? I think this is great. It's another big name coming to MLS, especially on the back of this World Cup where Lewandowski obviously wasn't. Poland had not qualified, but he's still a big name. And I think with the momentum that this World Cup hopefully will carry on to the rest of the MLS season.
50:05Julien Laurens:I think this is great. We saw Griezmann arriving in Orlando already, and that's making big waves. This is great. Lewandowski is next. Thomas Muller has gone back to the Whitecaps for training. There's Messi. And I think this is great. I think this is great for MLS. I like the fact that he ended up going to Chicago, given that he's Polish, given the Polish-American roots of the city of Chicago. I remember, because I'm very old, when I was in grad school, I actually wrote a thesis on the launch of Major League Soccer. Back then, I think it was Novak who they brought to Chicago on the basis that Novak was Polish.
50:38and there's a lot of, hey, look, I mean, you can channel some of that. Of course. He's going to find food from home, at least in Chicago. I guarantee you that, Robbie.
50:46Julien Laurens:Tottenham Hotspur CEO of Vinay Venketashan told the meeting of his club's fan at Rezobor that no sporting directors have turned down the club and that hiring one was not a priority at the current time anyway. Kyle, what do you make of it? Boy, I feel like doing the Tottenham get battered everywhere they go. I don't know. No, this sounds stupid. Leaving aside what we know and what we hear. And look, I mean, it's his call in the end. Maybe everything we know and hear is wrong. Are you really going to go with Johan Lange? And what, did Zerbe? Did you want Zerbe to be your assistant sporting director?
51:21That's not what the man is good at. That's what's happening right now. That's not his skill set. You want to go back? You want to go ask people at Marseille? You want to go ask people at Brighton how it worked out when he started getting involved in transfers? Hey, Jules, you know the Marseille situation. Is this what you want? No, I mean, not. And in Marseille, he had a friendly sporting director.
51:40Julien Laurens:And president, yeah. And president. Now he doesn't have, he's got Johan Lange. I don't know. Look, just say, we trust Johan Lange. He's going to be in charge of this. But the fact that he wouldn't even come out and say that, I don't understand what that man is doing. Spain beat Uruguay to top their group, Gab. Austria is next for Luis de la Fuente and his players. Yeah, and I think it's hard to decipher Spain so far, not because they've done too many things wrong, but because of the opposition, because there have been a lot of changes, but obviously they're up there. For Uruguay, what can you say?
52:10The great Bielsa experiment ends badly. I thought it turned into a manhunt at the end. I think Canobio should be facing a pretty long ban for the way it went. Uruguayan football, you need to learn from this.
52:26We're going to have more quick hits coming up to you. After this little break that we're going to take.
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52:55Julien Laurens:Check responses set up required. Compatibility and availability varies 18+. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast instead of doom scrolling? Smart move. Another smart move? Getting help from one of State Farm's 19 ,000 local agents when you choose to bundle home and auto. Bundling. Just another way to save with the personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state.
53:32The Gab and Jules Show is presented by Gusto. Jules, we're not done. We have more quick hits. Yes. Jules, nine of the ten African teams at the World Cup advanced to the knockouts, which means the continent has the best batting average in world football, better than any other confederation.
53:52Julien Laurens:Yeah, really impressive. It's only Tunisia. If you follow us and through this whole tournament, You know about the shambles and the disgrace of their performances on and off the pitch. Obviously, before the other nine, outstanding from Cap Verde, one of the stories of this World Cup without a doubt, to Morocco, probably the best of the team so far from Africa. Avery Co is doing really well. Senegal finding a way of making it to the round of 32. Congo, big surprise, 52 years after the last time they won the World Cup. So all those stories are great. I just hope that momentum stays until the next AFCON, that all those federations and all those teams use what happens here to get better with the resources that they would get from this World Cup, the money they would get from this World Cup, the experience that this World Cup gets you for this country.
54:40Julien Laurens:I think it's very important to build on what's happened here. Yeah, no question about that. I mean, when you look at this, obviously Asia, the big disappointment, just two of nine going through. Look, some were very close. Obviously, Iran that we've talked about. We're talking very, very fine margins. And it works both ways, right? Certainly the Algeria situation at the end. Also, some people might find that very, very close. Combo, five out of six. Not really a surprise. I was kind of surprised Europe did so well. 13 out of 16, I thought. Might have been one or two more that we lost along the way.
55:16CONCACAF, only the three hosts still in there. maybe Panama can feel a little grief but they had a tough group.
55:22Julien Laurens:Yeah, they had a tough group. That's true. Yeah, the Telegraph in the UK has an extraordinary report about some of the Qatar fans that we saw in those World Cup stadiums. Yeah, so I was struck by this. I don't know if you saw them. You saw them on television. I know Qatar, obviously, tiny country. I don't like judging people whose fans they are by what they look like because there seem to be an awful lot of white dudes in Qatar jerseys. And I thought, it's interesting. Are they expats? Are they people living in Qatar? Are they people who fell in love with Afif at the last World Cup? According to the Telegraph, basically, they arranged all expenses paid to send 1 ,000 people from Qatar to the World Cup games.
56:07But then they still wanted more people there. So they ended up kind of recruiting people locally. And they gave them a Qatar fan box, which contained a replica shirt, a hat, and sunglasses, which I thought was a little weird, especially... And a ticket I get to the game. And, of course, a ticket to the game.
56:23Julien Laurens:She's the most important here. Again, part of me wants to be cynical about this. Part of me also says, look, this is a tiny country. The U.S. is very, very far away. It is kind of depressing when you don't have any fans in the stands. That's true. So, I'm okay with this. Are you okay with it? Yeah, I think I'm okay with it. And, I mean, they're out now anyway, so we won't get to see that. Yeah, we won't get to see these guys again. Anyway, thanks for tuning in to the Gab and Jewel Show presented by Gusto. Gusto is your small business partner for payroll, for benefits, and so much more. Get started for free at gusto.com.
57:01Jewel, is we going to come back and do this all again on Friday? Until then, love the game. Love your neighbor. Love yourself.
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From the publisher
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens break down Brazil's dramatic 2-1 win over Japan in the Round of 32. They then go on to discuss some of the biggest stories in World Football.
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