Undav's brace saves Germany, Netherlands dominate Sweden

12:06Jeremy Schaap:Is that a backhanded compliment? It felt like it.

12:08FC Morning Crew:Natum was burning that midnight oil last night talking Germany. You can find it out on YouTube. Coming up next, will we finally get the La Minha Mal show on the world's biggest stage? We're talking Spain next.

12:27Jeremy Schaap:I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo pre-filled syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit VivGartMyWay.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T MyWay.com. And talk to your doctor about VivGart Hytrulo. Brought to you by Argenics. Game day at my place is kind of a big deal. If I'm grilling, chilling, and watching hoops, my outdoor patio setup better be ready to play.

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13:41FC Morning Crew:Let's talk España. You will find them in Group H, one of the favorites to win the entire World Cup. But they shocked us with a draw with Cabo Vergi in their opening game, which is why the group looks like this, because Uruguay also were held to a draw. Now, remember, La Minha Mal did not start that game. And today, up against Saudi Arabia, we're wondering if whether or not we will see the best of their team sensation.

14:10FC Morning Crew:Lamin! What are we witnessing?

14:16FC Morning Crew:He's bold, he's brilliant, that's a superstar.

14:20Jeremy Schaap:Sensational! Oh, he's brilliant, he is brilliant! Lamin Yaman is the best player in the world right now, there's just no debate.

14:30FC Morning Crew:All right, well, here is a look at the Spanish papers as they get ready for this one. And no surprise that they are talking about La Minha Mal as saying, as magia, do some magic. That's what we want to see. And listos para reaccionar, ready to react. Because like I said, we all were left absolutely shocked after they were held to that draw against Cabo Verde. Alex Kirkland is joining us right now because he is following the Spanish national team. Alex, what's the latest on La Minha, Mal? Is he going to start today?

15:01Jeremy Schaap:Yeah, that's the big question, Alexis. All the talk every day at Spain Camp this week has been all about La Minha. And Coach Luis De La Fuente was asked about this yesterday. He said, look, it's not a problem. He can handle it. The big question, like you say, is does he start? Now, De La Fuente wouldn't confirm that for sure yesterday. We'll find out the team news very shortly. De La Fuente did say, look, it's a question of does he play 55 minutes, 60 minutes? And so do the math. That makes him a starter. Otherwise, it doesn't work out if he's a substitute. But we haven't got the team news here just yet.

15:29Jeremy Schaap:De La Fuente asked as well yesterday about Lamin and what kind of role he can play for the Spain national team. He was thrown names like Messi and Maradona with what they've done at World Cups in the past. He said, no, it's a mistake to compare him to anybody. But he did then go on to call him a genius and compare him to Salvador Dali and Michelangelo. So don't compare him to Messi and Maradona, but you can compare him to two of the greatest artists of all time. No pressure.

15:53FC Morning Crew:No pressure at all, but we do know that the pitch definitely is his canvas, and he's very much capable of pulling up some art. Ale, if you are in charge, are you starting him?

16:05Jeremy Schaap:100%. Yes. Yes. Yes. Si. La Minha man has to play. If he is fit and ready to go, which I assume he is, given the fact that he was put on the field against K-Berode late in that match, then yes, he has to start. Spain is so much better with Lamin-Llamal on the field. They are so limited when he's not on the field. What he can give you in terms of creativity, 1v1 situations, passing of the ball, dribbling, creating for himself, creating for others. It is a completely, total, different team when Lamin-Llamal is on the field. I expect him to start. I expect him to play well. And I expect Spain to win and dominate.

16:45Jeremy Schaap:And they better because I picked them to win this whole thing. and they have to be much better than what they were against Cape Verde.

16:51FC Morning Crew:Nenem is starting Lamin too. It's a lot of pressure to put on him, especially considering he's making his way back from injury.

16:57Jeremy Schaap:Pressure? I'm not really sure. I think he's fine. This is a guy that's helped Spain win the Euros two years ago. This is a guy that's done so much. It's also so easy to forget he's 18 years old. The way we speak about him is like he's 25, 26. It's like the fate of the Spanish nation is on this 18-year-old Lamin. And my bracket. It is. Especially your bracket.

17:15FC Morning Crew:And our predictions.

17:16Jeremy Schaap:And I think that sums up how good he actually is. All these conversations about somebody so young that you would think would be just getting drip fed into a side. Well, he's one of the best in the world. Like, well, Julian Laurent says he is the best in the world, as we heard in the piece just then. So I think I would start him. If you can get 60 minutes from him, you absolutely have to start him. And I think you get a chance to get him into rhythm and then hopefully build some more momentum so that, you know, should they make the knockouts. Sorry, after they make it to the knockouts, you find the best version of them.

17:42Jeremy Schaap:Well, they better. Let me just tell you, because I was asked if I'm sticking to my pick.

17:47FC Morning Crew:Yes.

17:47Jeremy Schaap:My lovely wife would sometimes suggest and describe me as being stubborn.

17:52FC Morning Crew:I would agree.

17:53Jeremy Schaap:Thank you, Alexis. I don't know if that was supportive or not. But all I would tell you is, yes, I'm sticking with Spain. But the big caveat is La Minha has to be on the field. I expect him to play well today.

18:04FC Morning Crew:Alex, tell us what you're expecting from Spain today. Because normally after the results at Cabo Verde, we felt a lot of pressure was going to be on them because I think a lot of people expected Uruguay to take care of business and get their three points. That didn't happen, so the group is pretty much wide open.

18:20Jeremy Schaap:Yeah, we will see changes in the team today. De La Fuente confirmed that. I don't know if it'll be two or three. They'll look for more width. They've talked this week about the need to speed up the passing, play with more intensity, look to use the width of the pitch more because they struggled. They had a lot of the ball, a lot of possession, struggled to create really clear-cut chances against Cabo Verde. It was a bit of the old-school kind of Spain from a few years ago with lots of possession and no end product. Lamine will make a huge difference, of course, if he's on the pitch. And it will depend on when that first goal comes.

18:46Jeremy Schaap:If it comes early, I think they'll be absolutely fine today. If it is a struggle, if it is a struggle as it was against Cabo Verde, then the nerves will start to come. Then the pressure will start to build. And then it really would be panic stations. But we're not there yet.

19:00FC Morning Crew:Not there yet. But are there panic stations for Brazil? Because Rafinha seems to have picked up a hamstring injury against Haiti. and now he seems to be out for up to two weeks or at least until the round of 16 or more if Brazil do make it that far. Here's Robbo last night on how big of a loss this is for Brazil.

19:20Jeremy Schaap:Senna has been magnificent for two years. This is the biggest blow, in my view, to any team in the World Cup if he is considered to be not available to play for them because his movement, he's running, he changed the whole dynamic of the way teams play. He did it at Barcelona. His movement from outside to in, making forward runs, time after time after time, just makes the opposition, if they want to hold a high line, he gets in behind them. If they want to go with him, it opens up space for other people. And I think that would be a massive, massive loss if he's not playing.

19:55FC Morning Crew:Ale, panic stations?

19:56Jeremy Schaap:I stopped listening once I saw how low his shirt was. It was late last night. He was feeling himself. It was late. Robert was feeling himself. I was wondering where that wire was going.

20:07FC Morning Crew:Can Brazil win the World Cup without Rafinha? Because we know that's what they want.

20:12Jeremy Schaap:Let me just. Brazil cannot win the World Cup even if Rafinha is on the field. They're limited for other reasons. So Rafinha not being there, of course, is a big blow. It's a major blow. But Rafinha is one of the players that had been questioned by the media to Carlo Ancelotti coming up to their second match. It was like, when are we going to get the best out of Rafinha? When are we going to get the best out of Rafinha? He was under pressure, and so was Carlo Ancelotti to make a decision on Rafinha. So it's not like he had been playing all that well for Brazil to begin with. They need him on the field.

20:43Jeremy Schaap:They would rather have him on the field. But to be honest with you, Brazil has many more issues than just missing out on Rafinha. I just think they have to elevate their level of play, which we haven't seen in the first couple of matches.

20:54FC Morning Crew:When are we going to get the best out of Rafinha? That's something that we have seen up close and personal, Alex, haven't we, in La Liga, as Hansi Flick manages to get the best out of Rafinha for Barcelona. Either way you cut it, this is going to be a big blow for Brazil.

21:09Jeremy Schaap:Yeah, like we heard Robbo saying there, the role that Rafinha plays as much off the ball as on the ball is so important for Barcelona and Brazil. He is an on-field leader. I think coaches, both Ancelotti and Hansi Flick, rate him really highly because of how he pulls the whole team around him in terms of the positioning on the field when the team are out of possession. Traditionally, it hasn't always been a strength for the Brazil national team, but he makes a big difference to that. And yeah, he's not the superstar of the team like Vinicius Junior. He's not necessarily the most vocal leader, but he is a leader in terms of his performance for Brazil, just as he is for Barcelona.

21:38Jeremy Schaap:We've seen how good he's been in La Liga for a couple of seasons now, and it is a huge blow. And if Brazil do progress to the latter stages here, it'll be a race against time for him to get back fit and be able to play some part.

21:48FC Morning Crew:All right, Alex Kirkland, thank you so much for joining us. We're going to let you make your way inside the stadium and hopefully see finally some magic from La Minha Mal. Hope. All right, well, we've already seen Messi magic at this World Cup, and it's inspiring artists everywhere. Argentina will be back in action tomorrow in Dallas, and they are putting up murals everywhere. What do you think of this one, Ale?

22:14Jeremy Schaap:Let me see.

22:15FC Morning Crew:Yeah, it's nice. You're not too, too impressed.

22:18Jeremy Schaap:Well, because then you see this, and then you go, all right. Okay, now we're talking.

22:23FC Morning Crew:Because a new statue of Lionel Messi has been erected in Argentina. Now, it is 26 meters tall and it weighs about 70 tons. Now, this is absolutely bigger than the one that's already in India, Nadam. Do you want to go visit this?

22:40Jeremy Schaap:Do I want to go? No, I'll be all right.

22:42FC Morning Crew:Do you want one of these in your backyard?

22:43Jeremy Schaap:No, I'm all right.

22:44FC Morning Crew:You don't rent Messi that much?

22:45Jeremy Schaap:My backyard's not that big.

22:47FC Morning Crew:So what you're saying is you don't rent Messi that much? I'm just kidding.

22:50Jeremy Schaap:So Nadam hates Messi.

22:52FC Morning Crew:And looking ahead to them playing tomorrow on the early ESPN FC show. Join us 9 a.m. ESPN 2. Time for another quick break. But when we come back, we'll be talking USA with ESPN's very own Jeremy Schaap.

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24:45FC Morning Crew:performance from the U.S.

24:47Jeremy Schaap:to get out of that with three points. We have a young group, you know, and they created some excitement in this country after the two games they showed. I think we own some respect in this tournament. I mean, this is a big deal now. Australia never gave you a feeling that they can really score a goal or even two because the U.S. didn't allow them. Get excited. Go crazy. Take advantage of it. Enjoy it while you can. There we go. Now we're ready to jump but the bandwagon K. I can always say this as a coach, the ability to suffer. And that's what the U.S. Men's National Team did, and it was a good hard five, three points.

25:21Jeremy Schaap:I see clear advantages that this U.S. Men's National Team has to a lot of teams in this tournament. Who would have said that you start in this World Cup with two wins right away? Convincing wins right away. Anything, absolutely anything is possible. I think we kept our cool, and it was a really professional performance from us. For us, it's how can we give more and more and more? That confidence, that belief, Hey, we can dream and we're hosting the World Cup. So let's dream big.

25:49FC Morning Crew:Dream big. And that's exactly what the nation is doing right now, because after two very convincing wins over Paraguay and Australia for the United States, it has everyone believing they can go far in this tournament. There's a look at the Group B standings. They have not only topped the group, they have clinched first place and they are going into the round of 32 with a game to spare. Let's welcome in the one and only Jeremy Schaap, who is joining us right now. Jeremy, you've been hanging out with the U.S. men's national team over the last couple of weeks. But before we speak about them specifically, I kind of want to just get the vibe of the entire World Cup, because you, of course, went to the 94 World Cup.

26:29FC Morning Crew:You've been to other World Cups as well. There was so much criticism and questions about the USA, Mexico and Canada hosting this World Cup and whether or not fans would turn out or not. So from you having your boots on the ground, what do you feel like the buzz has been like in the country?

26:44Jeremy Schaap:Well, I think it's building, right? You know, maybe a few days before the start of the tournament, people are like, what's going on? Why isn't anybody talking about the World Cup? People are talking about the Knicks, certainly in the Northeast, where I am from. But, you know, Americans love a big event. They love the best. The World Cup is the best teams in the world. It's the biggest event in the world, not just sports event, right? It's the biggest event in the world. So just like 94, when fewer Americans knew anything about soccer, you know, couldn't name any of the top players in the world, the average American sports fan to now 32 years later, I knew they would start embracing it.

27:22Jeremy Schaap:And when you have a U.S. team that's performing, that's won two games, the first two group stage games and done it, as you said, in convincing fashion, then it's just going to be amplified. You know, the progression in terms of the excitement is going to be geometric. And you can see it on the streets. You can see it in the watch parties. People are rallying behind this team. And it's just going to continue to grow and grow and grow. And especially now that we know, you know, the U.S. has won its group. They're going to be playing in San Francisco in, what, 10, 11 days. It's just going to keep building.

27:57FC Morning Crew:It's going to keep building indeed. Ale, you feel like all of that pre-tournament negativity is gone?

28:01Jeremy Schaap:Well, it wasn't coming from me. I'm a beacon of positivity, Alexis. All I can tell you is that if you're a United States fan, be excited, not just because it's a big event, not just because it's a big moment in the World Cup. Be excited because your team has been, so far, one of the best teams in this competition. So you have a reason to be excited. We're not just making it up. On the field, in terms of performances, there haven't been many teams that have been better than the United States so far. Again, we'll see how long it lasts. But ride this way, baby. Ride it out. Ride this high. And see how far it takes you.

28:37Jeremy Schaap:This team right now is playing at a very high level.

28:39FC Morning Crew:Natum, you're feeling positive. You're feeling the U.S. vibes?

28:42Jeremy Schaap:Yeah, absolutely am. And obviously the first game against Paraguay was the one which has probably brought the most headlines in terms of how dominant that they were. But from a football standpoint, I like the second game as well. Because this was playing against an Australia team that obviously had their limitations. But they wanted to fight. And the U.S. men's national team were like, okay, that's fine. And we've got that as well. I think some of the football they've played has been good. But the great determination, you can see the speed that they have, the tenacity that they have, and some players rounding into really, really good form.

29:08Jeremy Schaap:So I think it's really positive, the position they're in. I think, Ali, you're right. They've played some of the best football of any team in this tournament. When you think about the context of what that means, talking about Spain's, Portugal's, and so on, but the positivities around the United States at this moment in time when they're hosting. But I think maybe Jeremy would agree here. The significance of this tournament is that everybody's more connected now. So you're seeing all those different groups of people around the country celebrating together. But you're also seeing the culture that's being brought by, say, the Scots in Boston.

29:34Jeremy Schaap:Yeah. Say, the Dutch yesterday when they were in Toronto and so on. And that you want to feel a part of your team, part of your collective. And the team right now are back in itself. It's a perfect time to support.

29:44FC Morning Crew:Yeah, Jeremy, I know you've been with the U.S. Men's National Team. But what do you make of some of the images of all the other fan bases that you've seen around the country?

29:53Jeremy Schaap:It's great stuff. I mean, this is what you want, right? You want communities embracing the fans who are coming from around the world. You want the enthusiasm. This is a different kind of World Cup as well. Remember the last time he was here in the U.S. 32 years ago, it's not only that the culture here, the soccer culture here was much less mature. It was half as big a tournament. There were 24 teams, not 48. And of course, it's spread out now as well with Canada and Mexico. But we're talking about, you know, a vast tournament, fan bases from all over the world showing up in strength despite some of the difficulties.

30:32Jeremy Schaap:And, of course, there have been, you know, these issues and that kind of stuff and processing issues. But once the tournament gets started, once the teams start playing and you get upsets and you get some of the minnows playing well, you can just see the excitement growing and growing and growing. And it's fun to watch.

30:50FC Morning Crew:Now, Jeremy, of course, you've been with the U.S. men's national team. You've seen firsthand exactly the good, I would say, brotherhood and vibes this squad has. But if you compare it to U.S. squads of old who are kind of held in lore, especially as to what they were able to do back in 94, how would you compare this team to them?

31:09Jeremy Schaap:Oh, it's totally different, as you guys know. I mean, we're talking about so many talented individual players playing in some of the biggest clubs and best leagues around the world. You know, the question wasn't going to be whether really this is the most talented team ever assembled for the USMNT. I think that was clear as whether they would gel, whether Mauricio Pochettino's strategies would work. And certainly the proof of concept for the first couple of games is this is more than anyone could have even hoped for. The most optimistic USMNT fans and observers didn't think they would dominate the way they dominated against Paraguay.

31:50Jeremy Schaap:And then again, a strong performance against Australia to secure a spot in the knockout stage and ultimately to win the group. This is all going about as well as it can be going, especially when you consider that the US's best player has only played one of the four halves. So, you know, it's a little bit surreal, right? As somebody who's been watching the USMNT for 36, 37 years pretty consistently, we're not accustomed to feeling this way. Consecutive multi-goal wins at the World Cup. They hadn't won a game at the World Cup by more than a single goal in 24 years. So I'm still kind of adjusting myself to this new reality, and I think a lot of people are.

32:35FC Morning Crew:24 years, that just happens to be my age. Just kidding. But Ale, we just had a look at that graphic there. Not mine. We just had a look at that graphic there. And now the USA as well know where they'll be playing. At least they will be West Coast based up until and if they make a semifinal when then things move to either Texas and then, of course, to the East Coast, to New Jersey and New York. So this could be a very ideal path. How far do you think they can go?

33:05Jeremy Schaap:It's ideal right now. It's ideal in the sense that you already won the group, and so therefore it allows Maurizio Pochettino to set his team up for success, knowing full well that the game against Turkey to close out the group is a glorified training session. And so you can rotate the team. You can give minutes to other players. You can make a decision about Christian Pulisic and what his status is. If he's not close to 100 % fitness or if he's not ready to go, you don't play him. You don't take a risk. But if he is fit and the medical staff tells you, you know what, He is ready to go. Give him 15, 20 minutes at the end of the match so that he can get some competitive minutes, so he can get competitive touches.

33:41Jeremy Schaap:Because if you do the math, and Jeremy just mentioned there, if you project forward and you're looking into the round of 32 and you do the math, Christian Pulisic, his first game would have been two and a half weeks away from that knockout match. You go backwards and then you go forwards, and you don't want your start to be out and missing out on activity, out on the field, competitive touches for two and a half weeks. And so, therefore, if he is fit and he is ready to go, give him a few minutes against Turkey. Again, this is the flexibility that you have earned because of performance on the field.

34:15Jeremy Schaap:And now it's up to Mariso Pochettino to see how he deals with what is a very successful event so far.

34:22FC Morning Crew:So far. All right. Well, what we have seen from the USA so far, Jeremy, has been very impressive, which is why everybody is jumping on the bandwagon. People are believing, but realistically, because we know you are such a respected journalist. How far do you think this team can go? Tell me what your head says and what your heart says.

34:40Jeremy Schaap:Look, what I'll say is I think based on what we've seen, right, the ceiling, we all have to believe whatever ceiling we had for this team before Paraguay was elevated. Right. I mean, you know, I still need to see these guys beat a top club from Europe, from South America. with all due respect to Paraguay and Australia, right? I mean, the three friendlies, the four friendlies this year, you know, they beat Senegal, but they lost to Germany. They lost to Belgium. They lost to Portugal. I know it's a different lineup. So many things are different. They've got momentum. They're playing this tournament at home.

35:22Jeremy Schaap:If people thought, look, getting to the round of 16 would be acceptable, I think now anything short of the quarters would be disappointing. And then beyond that, let's face it, it would all be a dream.

35:36FC Morning Crew:It would be a dream.

35:37Jeremy Schaap:America, baby. America, baby.

35:40FC Morning Crew:Ale's loving it. He's on the bandwagon. Indeed. Natum, not so much. All right. Jeremy Schaaf, thank you so much for joining us. It's an absolute pleasure. And I'm pretty sure we'll catch up with you another time to see exactly how far the USA can take us on this bandwagon.

35:57FC Morning Crew:All right. Well, make sure to tune in to ESPN FC tonight. This is the late night show where we look back at all of the World Cup action from the day. You can find it at 11 p.m. on ESPN2. Coming up next, do not go anywhere because Ilkay Gundogan will be joining the party as we talk about jubilation for Germany and heartbreak that we saw earlier for Turkey.

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37:13Welcome back.

37:14FC Morning Crew:One of the surprises that this World Cup has given us so far is the fact that Turkey are already out of the tournament after suffering back-to-back losses. But have a look. They did make it a goal at goal. 62 shots at goal in their games against Australia and Paraguay. But not a single goal to show for it. That is my goal record.

37:36Jeremy Schaap:Not very efficient. Not very effective.

37:39FC Morning Crew:Not the most efficient in front of goal, quite like Ale Moreno, as well as Arneida Manua. So let's bring in somebody who can be efficient in front of goal. Ilkay Gundogan joining us for this one. Now, Ilkay, we know, of course, that you did suit up for Germany. but we know your heart definitely has ties back to Turquia. Just how crazy is that stat and how shocking is it that they're already out?

38:03Jeremy Schaap:It's a big upset. It's very frustrating. I think Turquia started the World Cup, even on their way to the World Cup, you know, with big hopes, with big enthusiasm. Obviously, Turquia is a country that is in love with the game of football. So you can just imagine, you know, how disappointed and yeah, how sad it is for Turkey to get knocked out so early.

38:30FC Morning Crew:Yeah, it is quite a surprise, especially when you look at some of the players that they have, especially somebody who is quite special and highly rated as an Ardo Gouler.

38:36Jeremy Schaap:Yeah, for sure. And you can mention him, but just looking at those stats there, those are the stats of a team that's clearly won their group already. To have 74 % possession, to have the expected goals of that number, shots on goal, touches in the opponent's box. But I think in some ways, like, this is the reminder of what football can be like. You know, the final stage is the most important stage, which is why short-stocky strikers and stuff sometimes, you know, they're of really, really high value, not whoever your friend is. But that is shocking because I myself, and I'm sure lots of others thought, going into the last group game, it would be the U.S.

39:06Jeremy Schaap:men's national team versus Turkey to essentially see who would finish top of that group. But instead, it's a massive failure. And I think from the Turkey perspective, and unless I'm mistaken, and maybe Okai could tell me, Turkey don't qualify for all these World Cups every four years. So for them to wait as long as they have done, I think it might have been in 98 last time they were at one.

39:24FC Morning Crew:Yeah.

39:24Jeremy Schaap:There's no guarantee they'll be back here again for a long time as well.

39:27FC Morning Crew:Yeah, OK. What did you make of what Nadim had to say?

39:31Jeremy Schaap:Yeah, I agree completely, to be honest. I mean, just the fact that Turkey was able to qualify for the World Cup after 24 years just shows, you know, how hungry the people were, you know, and how much they had to starve. and on the opposite how excited they were for this World Cup. And especially having the first couple of games where you were thinking, OK, of course, every World Cup has its difficult opponents, but having two games where you could actually have a good start in the tournament and not being able to just score one and lose both games and get knocked out when you know that even some of the best spots still qualify for the next round.

40:16Jeremy Schaap:As I said in the beginning, a huge upset and a big disappointment for the whole team.

40:21FC Morning Crew:Yeah, a big disappointment indeed, especially because in that game, Paraguay went down to 10 men because Miguel Almiron picked up a red card for covering his mouth when he was speaking to an opponent. Now, we did talk about how this is, of course, a new rule, and this is the first time that a player has been sent off for doing so. Ilkay, this is a new rule that kind of has divided opinion. Where do you stand on it? What did you think of it?

40:48Jeremy Schaap:I'm still not so sure about the rule, to be honest. It's still something that we need to get used to. Obviously, if it's in an offensive way towards your opponent or in a disrespectful way what you are saying, then of course it's 100 % understandable. But unfortunately, you never know what the opponent's player is saying to the player. At least us from outside, we will never know. So I don't know what the intention was behind it. But rules are made to be followed with. And that's why this rule was made. So at the end, the player has to live with the consequences, no matter what we from outside are thinking about it.

41:29Jeremy Schaap:So, OK, we're having a discussion there around the rule itself. But if I was to say put you in a position to where you were the captain of a player that's been sent off for that Would you have the same sympathy or would it be more a case of saying that to the player that you know you should have done better? I would be really mad to be honest that As a teammate I would felt Yeah, left alone a little bit, but on the other side because it's such a new rule I think it's it's something that as a player you need to get used to still, you know I mean, even myself, when I remember me playing or when I remember games of myself, I've done it, you know, I've done it in the past.

42:08Jeremy Schaap:And it's not in a disrespect to just to have a conversation because I didn't want the cameras maybe to catch what I'm saying. And sometimes it's not just joking around. Sometimes you speak about other things, but it's not something bad, actually, you know. I've done that in my career so far. and I think it's a little bit also in our human nature that we might forget about specifically this rule, especially in the beginning so it didn't look like it was a very bad intention from the player, from at least what I've seen but the reaction of the Turkish player obviously on the opposite speaks maybe a different language but that's the problem that we have a little bit, you know, it's something we will never know, we will never 100 % probably also agree about that rule but as a player at the end of the day you must know that this rule exists now and you have to follow it and players would have been informed of this rule ahead of the tournament when there are changes and modifications to certain things going into a tournament you are informed you are you participate in a meeting and they tell you hey these are the things that we're looking to enforce and this rule would have been one of those things that would have been informed to the players and how do i know that i didn't have to be in the meeting to know this you just have to know what the Turkish player did because he knew the rule and he was quick to snitch.

43:27Jeremy Schaap:He was quick to say, hey, hey, hey, this guy was covering his mouth. This guy was covering his mouth. So he knew the rule and if it is the responsibility of the Turkish player to know the rule, it's also the responsibility of Miguel to know the rule. It's on him to do it and once you break the rules, then you are vulnerable. Red car, he gone.

43:47FC Morning Crew:Coming from a rule breaker himself, Ale Moreno. All right, Ilkay, let's talk about Germany now, because now we know that they have won the group. They have clinched that top spot after what was a come-from-behind win over Ivory Coast that was powered by a certain Dennis Undav. Now there's a lot of debate as to whether or not he should start for Julian Nagelsmann and who'd you take off. But overall, what do you think about that debate and what do you think of what we saw from Germany?

44:15Jeremy Schaap:First of all, I think it's a good debate to have for us as Germans, you know. and as our football nation as well. It shows that we have quality in the depth of our squad. Julian Nagelsmann was also very clear, you know, in the way he communicated the roles of the players and also specifically the role of Dennis, which there was a lot of talks and conversations about also in the media in the last couple of months. But I think also the clarity that he has, you know, just allows him also to come in, you know, and to just leave his mark to score goals. And me personally, I'm quite sure he'll play a good game.

45:02Jeremy Schaap:But I think to have a player like him competing, obviously, with Kai Havertz and also Nick Valtemar, I think we need that. We need that to be successful.

45:12FC Morning Crew:Friendly competition always helps. We will see how far it can take Germany. Ilkay Gundogan, thank you so much for joining us on the show. Dankeschön.

45:20Jeremy Schaap:Oh, yeah. Yeah.

45:22FC Morning Crew:She did it. I can't say it in Turkish. Well, for a full recap of World Cup action, make sure to check out a new episode of the Gab and Jules show that drops today. We're going to take a quick break. But when we come back, believe it or not, boys, we're talking some club football because there was unreal scenes in Spain as Malaga returned to the top flight.

45:46FC Morning Crew:NWSL fans, not long now before it returns to our network. Boston Legacy up against Bay FC. That's the game to kick things off on July 5th at noon on ESPN. All right, boys, remember what I said, club football ain't done yet. Almeria going up against Malaga. This is for a spot in La Liga. Who will make it back at the top flight? 65th minute. Great ball to Chupe. And he scores. Malaga 1-0.

46:15Jeremy Schaap:Yeah, that's a great moment. Great finish for the away team. But I'm going to be immediately under pressure.

46:20FC Morning Crew:Under pressure indeed. 71st minute. How about that one? Ale Moreno range?

46:24Jeremy Schaap:No, well outside my range. Why are you laughing, Nadim? Well outside my range. He massages the ball into the back of the net. Beautiful.

46:32FC Morning Crew:And this is a full-time whistle and this is what it means. Malaga would win this one by two goals to one, and they gained promotion to La Liga. So you can definitely catch them in action on ESPN next season. Now, Malaga returning to La Liga for the first time since 2018. And look at that, some famous people from Malaga, Antonio Banderas and Pablo Picasso. Wow. Pitch Preview is brought to you by DraftKings Sports. All right, well, here's a look at the games that are coming your way today. Of course, a lot of eyes on that noon kickoff between Spain and Saudi Arabia. Belgium go up against Iran, Uruguay against Cabo Verde, and then New Zealand up against Mo Salah and Egypt.

47:23FC Morning Crew:So it is time for some predictions. This is usually where we get it very wrong or very right. Speak for yourself. No, stop it, because I'm sure you're predicting a Spain win for their opener, and nobody got that right.

47:36Jeremy Schaap:No, it wasn't me. All right.

47:38FC Morning Crew:Well, now we're back on Spain against Saudi Arabia. Surely I'm going to go with Spain because, oh.

47:44Jeremy Schaap:Oh, I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened. You know what? Yeah. Okay. I don't know what has gone on in this show, whether you didn't bring her coffee or whatever the case may be. There's some tension, but I'm with you in this pick, regardless of the tension that is going on.

48:02FC Morning Crew:We're all on the same page. Uruguay, Cabo Verde, what do you say? Can Vozinha hold out Uruguay?

48:10Jeremy Schaap:Oh, yeah, I forgot.

48:13FC Morning Crew:Sorry, Vozinha.

48:14Jeremy Schaap:The Vozinha story is over. No love for goalkeepers.

48:18FC Morning Crew:Do you know what? I'm loving the Vozinha story, but I'm still going to go with Marcelo Mielsa and Uruguay. Next one, Belgium up against Iran.

48:29Jeremy Schaap:I think this will be a better game than maybe some people think, but I'm still going Belgium. Is your boy Lukaku starting? I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't care. It doesn't matter. Belgium.

48:40FC Morning Crew:Yeah, I think we're all agreeing on this one. Belgium to get a big win.

48:44Jeremy Schaap:I love it when we all agree. What could possibly go wrong? What about this one?

48:46FC Morning Crew:New Zealand up against Egypt. Do you know what? I'm going to go first and I'm going to go with Egypt.

48:54Jeremy Schaap:Okay. You're feeling it.

48:56FC Morning Crew:I'm feeling it. I'm feeling it.

48:58Jeremy Schaap:Oh, no. You're sitting on the fence. Well, draw is a result, isn't it? Well, but he's sitting on the fence. Who does that? Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? You're all going to do it. Are you kidding me? I'm sitting on the fence as well. It's a strong fence. Some Tim Payne magic? Huh? No, no.

49:15FC Morning Crew:The Tim Payne magic?

49:16Jeremy Schaap:No, no. I'm going with a draw. I do think these teams are evenly paired. Draw.

49:22FC Morning Crew:All right. Well, have a look at this. Jadam Manoa. Wait a minute. When we took him off of the pitch and out of the studio, he decided to go to some reformer Pilates, Natum.

49:32Jeremy Schaap:Oh, hello, Natum.

49:34FC Morning Crew:Is that how elite athletes train?

49:35Jeremy Schaap:This is how I like to stop my mornings. Hello, Natum. Look at the form, though. The form. We got to work on the form. Yes. Fire your glutes, Natum.

49:43FC Morning Crew:Fire them glutes. We're going to go to Pilates class. Thanks so much for watching ESPN FC. We'll see you again tonight. Happy Father's Day, everyone.

49:50Jeremy Schaap:Oh, God.

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