Cabo Verde pull off another miracle against Uruguay, Lamine Yamal sparks Spain, and Iran stonewall Belgium featuring Adam Friedland: Night Cup 06/21/26

25:46And I think the understandable, whether you agree with it or not, regardless of the politics, the understandable frustration they feel at being at a tournament where they want to showcase the best of their abilities. this is their kind of lifelong dream to compete here. And finding themselves in these, the players themselves, in this incredibly strange circumstance that is not their fault. It's not the player's fault. Whatever's happened is not their fault. And Taremi's been really frank and candid about that in a way that I really admire. To be honest, a lot of players, I think, wouldn't have done that.

26:15To be honest, Rog, the vibe here today was different to the vibe before the New Zealand game. It felt much more like a football match. There wasn't a protest outside that I saw. I think there were a few people, nothing major. The anthem was booed. but it was also sung, as was the case last week. And then once that had happened, it felt much more like there was a big bank of Red fans, Belgian fans, including the guy dressed in the Obelix costume that we met in Santa Monica. Was he there? He was there. He was loving it. There's a man, the Asterix character, there's a man who's just walking around quite in, I'd say, in a quite heightened state of ecstasy.

26:51I love him. And maybe he can't get out of the outfit. Maybe he's going to be trapped in it forever. By the way, that would be a top five outfit to be trapped in forever if you had to choose one. I don't know if he could get out of it in a way that is publicly decent. I think that might be the problem. Let's never stop that man. Trust me. So he was there. It felt much more like a normal game. And even though it ended goalless, it was a genuinely brilliant game because we had yet another brilliant goalkeeping performance, Rog. Yes, we did. I mean, hit that, smash that Insta button. I mean, it was a very odd performance by Belgium.

27:29They're like the most dad-coded team for Father's Day at this point. They had Jeremy Doku out. He's got the speed, one of the rare assets in terms of fast pace on the Belgian side. He's got, unfortunately, a pulmonary illness, which I think many of us in Los Angeles now have. Warehouse fire east of downtown. I'm giving you the local news, America. continues to, I crap you not, to belch toxic smoke into the atmosphere for the third straight day and everyone's walking around like it's just normal. The Belgians, after they complained about the Seattle grass, I loved it. Thomas Mounier said, quote, the balls were quite sticky, which I just love.

28:06Game is a tough watch. No do-goo. Kevin De Bruyne is into age five years in the first 20 minutes. Big Rom, huffed and puffed. Man's already played more minutes in a game and a half this World Cup than he did last season for his club. It looks like he just wants to just quickly vape on the field after every play just to get his breath back. Belgium got a red card. Eighth of the tournament. Enormous. And Goy brought down Mehdi Taremi. He was streaking through the Belgium back line, which for one minute was like the streets of Hormuz. Felt like it was open and then it was closed. Iran, brave. Currently top the group G.

28:44but Belgium, the goalkeeper's save in that one. It was, I realise, a Berivandi was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Somehow he snapped his body both ways at once, the World Cup of goalkeepers. Yeah, it was an extraordinary save, that one. He only made officially, I think, seven or eight saves in the game, which felt like it wasn't enough because I think there were seven or eight in that move alone. And it doesn't take into account the number of times he kind of came out, charged off his line to claim the ball, the way he commanded his penalty area, the kind of aura that he developed. He's one of those brilliant World Cup characters.

29:19He started life as a shepherd, Rog. He's a Kurdish start. That's just typical youth development. It is. It's the best way. A lot of the advanced academies in Europe now are introducing shepherding as a way to... For footwork. As a way to... Hand-eye. Hand-eye to ordination. No, he comes from a Kurdish family. They were sheep farmers, so he was a shepherd as a child. He's also got the longest recorded throw of any goalkeeper. These are the kind of... Does he really? Yeah, the mad trivia stats you get at World Cups. But he was amazing. Should you join Wrexham, the sheep shaggers? I think that would be amazing.

29:52He'd keep them in line. I'm not sure he'd let people do that to his sheep. I think that might be the problem. Maybe it's the worst club for him. That would be amazing. Rog, don't you entice me into saying something bad about the Welsh. I'm not doing that. I love the Welsh. I have to go home at some point to near the Welsh. We're never going home, Ro. We're never getting off our bus. But the... No, it was... In its own way, It was a performance just as good as Vizinha and just as good as Eloy Rune for Jurisawa and Etc. It's the World Cup of goalkeepers. World Cup of goalkeepers, World Cup of red cards, World Cup of own goals.

30:23This is why we watch. I want to get our guests on, but I will say we took a lot of crap in our previews when we said Belgium were going to struggle to score. They are the golden generation using gold in the same way as the golden girls use the word golden. They're just old. They're like a vintage car, Belgium. They're like, oh my God, they're like a really cool 1974 Ranchero, which is just incredible to look at performance-wise. Best days, definitely behind it. The game, nil-nil, incredibly. Iran sit atop Group G with two points. God bless Belgium in second, also with two, and a zero goal differential.

31:01But behind, you're all shouting this out at the YouTube right now, behind on team conduct score. I think we're making stuff up at this point. I love that group. I'm quite fascinated. Bring on those six game days that lie ahead next week. I can't wait for the chafing we're going to get in that stage of the, it's like a ninja assault course of a World Cup, this one. And as the world arrives in the United States for the biggest spectacle in sports, we're going coast to coast, host city to host city, to meet the world with the Men in Blazers Match Day Live Tour. These are free college game day style live events taking place just before kickoff at some of the biggest games of the summer.

31:44But we'll be taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans. It's going to be amazing. Come and be with us in person or from afar on YouTube. And let's celebrate this summer the way it's meant to be celebrated. Head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details. To the football, to more together courage. Leaders aren't born, they're made. And they're made like everything else, through hard work. Well, a Chevy Silverado was made for hard work and designed to handle the big jobs. With over 13 ,000 pounds of towing capacity and trailering sway control, Chevy Silverado can haul the biggest loads on the roughest roads.

32:21It's a true workhorse. Right now, get 0 % APR financing on a Silverado 1500 pickup. It doesn't get any lower than zero. See your Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Chevy dealers for details. It's Chevy Drive Chicago. Rul, are you ready for our guest? Absolutely. Let's do it. So excited for this man. He is. I mean, you know him as one of the podcasting sweethearts of the entire nation, host of his namesake talk show. But I know him as one of the nation's foremost footballing brains. Recently launched the beautiful pod covering this year's World Cup. It's already scored him at least one invitation.

33:00could be a threat actually involving some night of drinking in glasgow i'll make it happen it's a joy to welcome it's mr adam friedland guys how are you oh i'm at my in-laws right now so i hope are you really you're a good you're a good son-in-law what's your i have to drive back to new york after this but how is the father-in-law uh good good we we didn't really do much but yeah i did a phone call to my dad too

33:33you gotta keep the in-laws on side I gotta drive back to New York after this but I had a lovely weekend out here you're a good good man God bless I could do a whole show on your in-laws I'm quite fascinated but I need to start with the questions that everyone in football is asking Adam Freeland are the United States going to be able to defend the World Cup in 2034 can Tim Ream go again? Yes, yes, I think so. I think I've been proven incorrect. I spoke badly of his anti-bedwetting, or not anti-bedwetting, pro-bedwetting. Was it, would it qualify as pro-bedwetting or bedwetting advocacy? He said he never saw himself doing anything.

34:19and I said just maybe he should be caught doing, you know, in a brothel doing nitrous like some of the French, I don't know. Tim Ream. Maybe get in trouble, you know, maybe. This is not who he is. Our fearless Puritan leader, straight off the Mayflower, Timothy Ream. Listen, yeah. How are we feeling about this U.S. team, baby? I think they play real football. It's cool. What we're seeing is tactical football actually be a part of it, be more of a presence in the World Cup. A lot of it's like shithousing to a nil-nil in a shootout, which I think we could start to see more during the knockouts. But yeah, this feels like more football that we watch, like club football.

35:06Just tell the audience very quickly. People want to know, how did you, Adam Friedland, and I want to pick up on the US story, I mean, star of your first podcast whose name I can't say because my mother-in-law listens to this show. How did your relationship with football start? Just ground us. I was on a program, a gap year program, when I was 18. And half of the program was British and half of them were Spurs and half of them were Arsenal. And the Spurs, there's something that rubbed me the wrong way. something about how like oh jermaine defoe's be better than thierry henry they say things like like you're like uh they're talking to a peasant yeah and i was like i don't think they're right i mean uh yeah so my my first season watching uh watching football i mean i'd watched the world cups prior to that i remember 2002 uh i remember the US team then.

36:06I remember the final in 98. I do. I remember there was like a... I remember Emmanuel Petit for some reason. For some reason, I remember Emmanuel Petit doing a lap of honor after the game. But no, my first real season was Paris 06 of watching this shit. Of watching Arsenal. We're getting to the Arsenal in one second. But you've established that you are old school football. So we have seen this US team. We've seen them try and be a big dog for a long time. But this World Cup, we're just like, we're like electric. We're like ecstatic. We're unstoppable. You know, flew Balogun for president. We just won back-to-back men's World Cup games for the first time in 96 years.

36:55How do you explain what has happened? What do you think flipped the switch? I think it's potched, no? I mean, I think that they're actually playing a real system. I think that the ball is moving. I love Dest on the right. I think it's been a revelation. And, I mean, Pulisic looked like Neymar for 45 minutes. Like, it's – honestly, I was very kind of lukewarm. The person – I mean, it was cool. Like, having Clint Dempsey kind of guys that are, like, crip walking like at the at the world cup was like we had like kind of a a romantic attachment to uh to the old uh to the last uh kind of generation of of americans there there was something like cool about them and i i didn't know how to feel about this team but i think that uh yeah i mean like you know flow has a deep attachment to the country he was here for 13 15 days or something.

37:53That's three times as long as I've been a Cape Verde fan. That is long. That's enough, baby. Granted, I think that what you find is actually having someone that can finish is at a premium in the World Cup. I think you see so many teams that just cannot... Like Ecuador, for instance. You just don't have a natural finisher. And I think that you're in the minority if you have someone that could just put it into the back of the net. I think Flo needs to learn. His movement's good, but he needs to learn how to dribble. Hell in zone, we'll say. Hell in zone, baby. I'm very happy for him. You're listening to this man who is ecstatic and wonderful, partially because he's in his in-laws and he's a very good son-in-law.

38:37Yeah, fabulous. Hashtag proud. Objectively, everything he said makes complete sense, right? Yeah, absolutely. I think there is a real sort of sense of... we've talked about it before like momentum and enthusiasm and confidence about the u.s i think i agree on serginio dest actually i think that's a really good point like that's given them a real balance and what struck me in seattle was was the swagger that that him and mckinney in particular had there seemed to be like real belief that they could football australia off the park which is not that that dempsey team i'm conscious i really like clint but you didn't really used to watch those u.s teams of that generation they they strapped and they fought and it felt like there They sort of stood for something.

39:17They wanted to prove to the world that they liked football too, that they could do this properly. Whereas this team is like, we're good at this. We all play in the Champions League. We are playing against players. We see in the club game week in, week out. We're fine. We belong at this level. And I think that's a massive leap. But whether, I think you maybe have to give credit to Pochettino for getting it out of them after what was like a slightly up and down couple of years in the build-up. Well, what do you make of Pochettino? Adam as a manager and his World Cup extreme makeover the haircut the undercover game warden ensemble yeah from Darren Aronofsky's Noah himself Mr.

39:58Russell Crowe I liked that he was having a little snog with flow after the match I would say that the first match the opening match was the best performance I've ever seen from a US men's national team I don't think I can think of a better performance It's comprehensive I do think, yes As you were saying before We saw a scrappy side That was fun and we could kind of get behind But we see European pedigree now We see tactical Football now And I wasn't sure how a very pressy Potch system would work In a sweltering Summer tournament But I think you saw and Paraguay looked Sunday league against us.

40:48They beat everyone. I mean, they really, during qualifying, they beat everyone and they were incredibly stingy at the back. When it was a 48-team World Cup, you're going to let a couple of pub teams in just to make up numbers. But you mentioned Aronofsky's Noah and everyone, everyone on YouTube is screaming that quote from it, which is fitting for Pochettino. You can imagine him saying it as he looks in his undies himself in the mirror and sees only Russell Crowe. A great flood is coming. The waters of the heavens will meet the waters of Earth. We build a vessel to survive the storm. We build an ark, which really what that means is, and I need to ask you this.

41:25I think I texted you this this morning. We win two games. We're losing our mind for good reason. I want to know, does any part of you fear we started too good that you don't win a World Cup in the first two games? We don't want to peak too early. I think that's rubbish. I think you got to win your games. I don't know. You got to look good. I mean, it's like it's it's genuinely speaking like you have to employ the manager's like plan and you have to like kind of do it in a cohesive manner. I keep saying cohesive when I talk about like, I there's like, I would categorize the sides into like real, when I say real teams, I think France is a contender, but they don't seem like a real team.

42:13You know, like I think that like the shop is kind of like, he's best friends with the president. I got to let him just do it. You know, the president's going to be mad. Like, yeah, Yeah, McCrone's going to be mad at me if his best friend doesn't get to just run right and play for himself. But like what I see is also like Tuchel, like England looks like a real team. Japan are a real team that are playing like, I mean, they're the best example of a real team where they have a shared brain. I mean, like I loved watching them play the last two matches and in the last World Cup. but yeah teams with real identities is what you're saying teams that have a real identity how they're playing I mean you can separate out right in this World Cup there are a handful of teams everyone's got some level of skill everyone's got some level of big name player but I mean it is true the teams with the true identity are really the ones who are head and shoulders above the rest yeah I mean Adam's right like France for all that you look at that front four and you think, well, that's ridiculous.

43:21They can just settle it at any moment. I was really surprised in that first game that he started Douay, Mbappe, Dembele and the other one who I've forgotten. There were four of them playing up front. I can't remember who the final one was, but you sort of thought, well, this is almost kind of... You're kind of taking the piss a little bit here. You should just put three of them in and have one of them as a substitute, but then Barca has a substitute. But they don't have a defined identity, the French. It is very much, we are solid. We will prevent you attacking and then we have got the individual quality to break you down.

43:48I think Brazil are similar. I think Argentina are kind of similar. It's just that their individual quality is the greatest player who's ever lived. They have the individual. Yeah, they've got the physical manifestation of the concept of individual quality. They have God. But I think that's right. They have God. There aren't many teams that have a clear sense of what they're trying to do. And I think England did show it in flashes against Croatia. does England have that same kind of ability? In the second half, yeah. Yeah, like they had that, but in the third quarter, I don't know, that's when it was.

44:25England really embraced the third quarter of the game. Once they had the fourth quarter, they were using their timeouts. They didn't know what to do. But the third quarter, they were great. I think in the other quarters, they were a little bit more borderline. But the US, the US don't have the individual quality of those teams. That's just, that unfortunately is true. They've got plenty of individual quality, but like pound for pound on paper, player for player, those kind of traditional powers still have more. But they do have a really, they seem to really buy into that system. And if Coach Poach can hold that.

44:56Coach Poach. Coach Poach can hold that for the remainder of the tournament or for as long as they stay in, then that will carry them through quite a long way. Like you say, that's not something most international teams have. How are you enjoying the euphoria around this team? It is incredible watching the scenes from around the nation, like Hartford, Connecticut, San Jose. People are losing their minds. There was a tweet today from a guy at Josh Chavez, 65. He said, most of my guy's sports group chats have gone from, yeah, I'm not interested, soccer's dumb, to we need to rest Pulisic and all the guys sitting on the yellow against Turkey in like a span of two weeks.

45:34How are you experiencing that switch? I got to say, I'm a snob, right? Like, I think I, I don't, I, the reason like I've gotten so deep into the game is because I don't want to be like them. Like the, because being an American football fan, like a footy fan is, is just, it's the worst kind of guy you could be. I mean, it's just like, so in order to justify it, I have to just know everything about, you know, like everything about everything. So I'm not like them, you know, like I'm not doing the chants in a fake British accent. but so like I didn't want to but when I saw what I would say is when I saw Country Roads in the stadium afterwards it did hit me I was like oh this is like actually not lame it's not that I hate the I will I believe we will win like guys come on just get a better chant like make a better song when I saw an entire stadium doing that like uh you know it's like what's cool about watching uh you know the uh you know scotland for instance you see an entire nation just screaming uh a song together or even at the end of the england match when they did uh oasis it was just like then i was like oh we found our little thing and it's cool and uh i'm happy like i was like i could buy into this because i have a heart my heart is cold and uh i don't want to believe yeah my heart is cold and i don't want to believe that i've been through 20 years of arsenal it's just i can't it's the hope that kills you what do you think i've i mean i can't open my heart to anything only mate i don't even believe we won the premise i i i understand that i don't get that's what that's what being arsenal does it melts your brain is what you say it's true I mean I want to get back to the Arsenal thing but your point about Country Road is really interesting this tournament it is going to leave a legacy a mark SEC skills will we were chatting to JJ Watt about this two days ago they will start to behave like Dutch fans before the game they'll be like Texas Tech will start bouncing behind the bus or like Minnesota the Gophers will do like the Viking I don't know how that works but it will become like a thing.

47:57And America will also, like the love affair between Scotland and Boston, there's going to be all kinds of new cultural offshoots and fusions and mixing and matching and borrowing. Yeah, when you go to a match, the atmosphere is different than American sports. I think the primary difference is the supporter section. Like I do think that it does feel like you're at a war kind of. and you know like there's like guys in neon coats standing between you and then there's flares i mean like i went to stade velodrome uh once to see a i think it was bordeaux versus and i was it was there it was just shirtless it was like the movie uh the spartan movie whatever the fuck it was like three it was just like scary like there were no i was like where are the girls everyone's a shirtless man he's here like just to like go to war and then uh yeah but it was like in terms of atmosphere i i don't think we got that out of the states and i think having an american kind of even just like when i saw that country road thing but i was like it's it does feel like we're kind of getting it a little bit and uh john denver john denver was proper would have been proper football it's because what struck me about that was that it's authentic and it's organic so the reason those Scott songs work, whether it's 500 Miles or anything by The Proclaimers but not Sunshine on Leith which taught a few of the bars in Boston out, you can't play Sunshine on Leith in Scotland because it's a Hibs song so no one else will sing it but when they do those songs everybody knows the words, one thing that always amazes me, you cannot the American mind cannot comprehend how well everyone in Britain knows the words to Mr.

49:38Brightside by The Killers we play that song that song is in the top 100 in britain permanently it's been there for 20 years we just if you go to a wedding they play mr brightside nobody knows why it's like a law but we all know the words of that so when this when they put it on in a bar in boston even if scottish people the scottish people are there don't like the killers they might not even know what the song's called they just know what the chorus is but you need something that kind of has that like that cultural imprint so when you put the opening chords on in a stadium every American knows the words whether they're whether it's a football thing or not and I think Country Roads you two will know better than I do if there are other songs like that but Country Roads I think is probably the closest you'll get it's sorry don't look back at anger yeah yeah it works I mean it's it's when you see you'll never walk alone like and you you look at the cop and like it's it's there is something just very powerful and you're like damn we don't really have this domestically and then it fell for that to me really did feel like beautiful i love it this is the first time i've kind of seen something like this and uh it's awesome it is a bad time though adam i mean it's like americans are falling in love with the game huge huge number yeah you've got so many young guys playing in the top leagues in europe you know our you know our daddy warbucks have brought up all the premier league clubs saying the 11 of american owners of the 20 yeah um what has to happen before we do just calmly see ourselves as just we're just a proper football nation now are we just one good chant away i mean yeah i i think i i don't know i don't know if it's a chant i think maybe it's just getting people over to european youth academies more consistently i don't know i think it's uh yeah yeah we're finding some shepherds I mean, it's we've had Cinderella runs in World Cups.

51:33We've had it. We've been told that this is what it's going to take over. I do agree with you, though. This feels a little bit different. That that moment felt a little bit different. Now I sound like an Arsenal fan. Now. Now. Oh, shit. It's coming. They're going to hurt us, aren't they? No, I said that this feels like the moment. What is wrong? it's every time no it's cool it's cool and it does feel like I live in New York City it does feel like there's been some energy that's been kind of transmitted from the Knicks championship into this and tomorrow night I'm going to my first match I'm going to Senegal, Norway I'm going with a Norwegian friend of mine which is like feels I don't know guys it feels weird to be sitting with like the blonde people by rooting against Africa.

52:28As a Jewish person, I don't want to be... It's a big... Norwegian fandom. It's a big tent fandom, Adam. I don't want to be with Norwood. Like, those people are aliens. I'm going to be sitting with those guys and I'll get a kid or something, but I feel like I'd rather be going for Senegal. You know how when Noel Gallagher goes and watches Man City and stands in the away fans and when they do the Poznań, and he steadfastly refuses to do it. There's those incredible epic shots of like thousands of City fans doing the pods and the knolls just there, arms crossed. Like, no, tomorrow, when Norway score and they do the Viking rope, everyone's going to be doing it.

53:07And just one little Jewish guy in the middle is just going to be standing there with stony face. Well, I can't celebrate because I used to play for Senegal.

53:18It's out of respect. How do you do it emotionally as an Arsenal fan? Like a diehard. When you see Arsenal players in World Cup action, when you see Piero and Kipaie and his taut buttocks in another kit, like England, if England's Saka, Declan Rice, Everett GSA, and Meduake played the United States, who would you root for? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and Morgan Rodgers, you forget. Here we go. I'm announcing it, Morgan.

53:46Yeah, half the other. That's why I support, that's why I'm probably supporting England, because I want to see my boys happy. If anything, honestly, after 2021, after the penalties, I went, I took my dog for a walk and I cried. So I was like, I was like, he's pulled our club out of hell as a child. Sack up. And I was like, yeah. And I said, I said, and I know it's coming and it's not fair. I still get sad thinking about it, you know, and like the fact that he overcame that, the fact that he like. what he's done for us. I know he had a tough year this year. What a fucking weird season. Anyway, but I just want to see him happy, especially for England.

54:33And it is fairly satisfying to find out that Noni dribbling six guys and then skying it and Zach on one Achilles is maybe a better option on the right than Cole Palmer and Foden. But who am I to say that? I'm just a support. I want to get you back to your in-laws, but I do need to ask you a quick one. I'm not sure anyone on the field, not Messi, not Jamal, not even my hero, the Cape Verde goalkeeper. Yeah. I think it's captivated the nation through football the way Freddie LA7 has captivated people. I'm a truther. I know. I know what I said. So if you don't know who he is, listen, I don't know where you've been.

55:20He's a mysterious German tourist, will not reveal his face. He's explored America, one chain restaurant, one sports franchise, one extra suitcase at a time. One shit meal after another. Okay, continue. That's what he did in NASA. I mean, I don't know where this ends. Like, ultimately, is he allowed, like, the nuclear codes to launch something? I don't know how it works. How do you understand it? Like, in your head, knowing the world, knowing social media, knowing all of it as you do, who do you think he is, and what do you think this is all about? Okay, well, you said it yourself before I came on the show.

55:55He met a singer named what? What was her name? He's an Ellis fella. I can't remember her name. Hello. And what was her surname? What's her surname? Langley. Langley. Yeah. Okay, what is it? Langley also happens to be the city in Virginia that is the headquarters of the CIA. I mean, the signs are all there. How did I miss that one? What are you saying? How did I miss that one? What are you saying? What do you know in social media? You can see the deep state. No, I mean, it's I think it's people are getting a kick out of it. They wanted something PG. I don't know what it is. I mean, like they wanted something PG.

56:35For me, it's just like, I don't know. I like there's better interactions between Europeans and Americans or people from around the world. america my favorite was the austrians getting uh getting whistled at by ladies in oakland california that was my favorite like say hey y 'all are you all single just see walking in there welcome welcome welcome the cool thing about the the world cup is that you get a bunch of people from a bunch of different places they're all in the same place at the same time uh america in North America was obviously much more spread out. Like Qatar, I mean, Qatar was basically one place, I think, which was probably a completely different vibe because everyone was in literally one city.

57:24These people are spread out all over America. But it's cool. I mean, listen, I'm jealous that Freddie is doing numbers right now. And there has to be something more nefarious. Listen, look at the three of us are putting the work in every day in and day out. or we're learning the name of Eloy Rune from the USL 2 or something. And what the hell is this guy doing? He's eating some diarrhea sandwich and taking a picture, and everyone loves him. They love him. Oh, my God. What about us? What about us? It's a good point. You can't fault his logic. Thank you. You can't fault the logic. Thank you. There has to be something darker behind this.

58:07That's amazing. That is genuinely amazing. And God love. I was trying to work out who they were who set him up, but then you just came out with a real reason, and I do love it. Yeah, shout out to USL2, Miami FC. I do think this is the World Cup of love, ultimately. Americans falling in love with football, and football fall in love with America. So I've got to ask you before we let you go, and I'm going to just run through a couple of Arsenal things in a minute. Oh, no. What do you think about the tension between Zlatan and Alexei? It's welling up. It's beautiful. At a certain point, it's, well, I think today he got him to laugh.

58:51I saw that. He got him to laugh because he said he was dressed like he was on the show Fantasy Island. He got to laugh. At a certain point, it's become must-see television. I mean I hope it ends up okay I mean I will say this it has to be said that

59:19they shouldn't kill each other at a certain point I was like this is going to be a disaster I'm going to love it and now I'm watching it I'm like just a little bit the cameras are on um trevor noah things it's all like a spoof like it's a a remake of she's all she she's all that they're just gonna be like halfway through one uh that time is gonna shake down his hair and the song kiss me by six pence none the richer starts and it's just like you know what i mean we're gonna fall in love with that uh yeah lalas has to write a book i am lalas and they start referring to himself in the third person.

1:00:01I think their personalities have to merge or something like that. It has become intensely – the way they're keeping that together in that broadcast, it's some excellent – there's one member of that crew, and I think you can guess who it is, and it's not Mr. Thierry Henry that is literally going to have to go into therapy after the World Cup is over. I don't think NBC is going to have to find somebody to host their studio team for a while. Protect Rebecca, though, at all costs. Rebecca is just, she's just like, literally, gentlemen, please. She is goodness itself. I can't imagine the pain, the humanity she's seeing.

1:00:54She's probably loving every second of it, to be honest. There, Rebecca. I want to end with a quick bit of word association. I'm going to talk about Arsenal in the World Cup, a deep cup player in this tournament. Tell me the first thing that comes to mind when I say these. Are you ready for this? Sebastian Squalacci. What's my word association? I don't understand the game. When I say that name, what comes to mind? the mayor of New York of course he sent a kit to Zoran yeah I think I believe that's the man Marouane Shemak just what are you going to say 4-4 St. James Park what are you going to say next Bender the lord himself the lord Nick Mikel Arteta oh a standard I how is this real?

1:01:54I don't if we bottled it a fourth time in a row would he be our coach? Seriously? Yeah yeah yeah yeah they wouldn't have got rid of him no he might have had to go and live on an island for a bit but Arsenal wouldn't have got rid of him can you imagine this summer because we literally it was a nine point lead that was raised in one week I'm sorry the game the game continue now I'm getting stressed I'm perspiring win the dog Let me ground you.

1:02:24Just our boy. I don't know. I like to think of when the dog was that cartoon dog who actually took the show when we're not looking. Last one for you. Premier League title.

1:02:41We did it. In the weirdest season ever, Saka was unavailable the worst striker of all time our top goal scorer had 11 non-penalty goals in the league how did we do it? it's just the strangest year yeah just accept the happiness just accept the happiness it makes me I can't believe it Accept the happiness. I can't believe it. Savor the journey. Go and hug your in-laws. Just go and hug your in-laws. Hold your in-laws tight. Last question. How far is the U.S. going to go? How does this dream run of step over swag, Cagino Dest highlight videos, how does it all end? It's going to be Cape Verde USA in the final.

1:03:32I mean, if we hit Belgium, I back us. It depends. The amount of teams that I don't back the States is a minority. that I wouldn't fight the States against. The Turin likelihood is Bosnia in the round of 32 and Belgium in the last 16. Yeah, I think that's a shout. That's a quarterfinal shout. For sure. You have to. And that's a revenge against Belgium too. We have some history there. Yeah. It's coming home. It's coming home. It's coming home to the quarterfinals.

1:04:15that's right by the way i'd bite your arm off i would bite your arm off in every regard um adam friedland you're a beautiful human being you're a very good son-in-law most importantly of all the beautiful pod uh for more of this is the tuesdays and fridays yes you'll have to make through the other days um on your own with great great wonder um yeah i adore you you're a beautiful bloke to more baby thank you thanks for having me it's been great thank you big man god i feel terrible i kept him away from his in-laws is that i don't know his relationship with his in-laws but that might have been you doing him a service i feel like terrible i feel like they're all just sitting there father-in-law slightly edgy drumming the table a little bit irritated that his son-in-law is not paying the proper respect where is he what's he doing yeah yeah it's just a call he said he's just a call why did we all have to evacuate our best room and stand in there i feel like i'm terrible man um i've absolutely loved i want to say this very quickly getting our merch out into the world um seeing men in blaze nothing i love more seeing men in blazes merch on tv in u.s games are why not a scarf at the games um we just want to put joy out into the world and it's very lovely seeing you wearing our crap.

1:05:38I saw someone today, there's a football player wearing our Channel of Spirit of the 1930s hat. We have huge designs for each host city. New shirts coming out every day. Check it all at the MIB shop. Link below. Get stuck in tomorrow. Argentina in action. Raw, how many hat tricks will Lionel Messi score? Will he levitate? Will he just pull a chain of coloured hankies out of his nose? Who knows what Lionel Messi will do? I think probably not Under the hat-trick straight away, Rog, that would be indulging himself a little bit. But he's turned up to play as Messi, and that is something to be grateful for.

1:06:15But tomorrow is a day of the stars. It is a day of the stars. It is. It's star, whatever day it is, I've lost track. They've all melted. I don't know what else he can do to just one-up himself at this rate. I think his only composition left is himself and human history, his own performance. The last time out, Messi turns 39 on Wednesday. I think everyone knows your 40s and the new 30s, but he does it. The word out of the camp, his father is quite ill. That sense of collective mission, that sense of new purpose. It is only, I mean, going to refocus that team on an incredible journey. Rodrigo de Paul said he makes you want to go to war if he asks you to.

1:06:59And anyone who's seen his Michelob Ultra commercial knows Argentina have won eight in a row, kept clean sheets in seven of those. The way he acts in that commercial, the moves, he's actually one-upping them in the actual games. God bless. And the other group playing tomorrow, Group I, Iraq, continue their first World Cup in 40 years after that 4-1 spanking from Norway. They've only got to face France now. No biggie. Coach Graham Arnold jokingly asked if he could start three goalkeepers. I think with France's depth in attack, it's probably not going to be enough. In news, we'll have Mikel Arteta sweating beneath that helmet hair.

1:07:35William Saliba admitted he's been playing through injury and gritted teeth both at the end of the season and the Champions League final at these finals. Head of Norway, Senegal, Erling Haaland, put on his sunnies and hat to see the sights in New York City. Visited Katz Deli and Times Square, revealed his trick of going in congito. He said, it helps me when I hide the hair, which is what I do every day and no one's ever called me Erling, so it must be working. Roar, also in Times Square, watching the Norwegian fans turn it into a makeshift longship to do the Viking row. The city's issued a gridlock alert for the game, which is pretty much how I expect the game to go itself.

1:08:17There's been quite a lot of gridlock around quite a lot of stadiums in this tournament, Roar, to be perfectly honest. I'm not sure why they're having to do an alert just for New York. Yeah, I think of all those features, Norway Senadol is the most sort of beautifully poised. Senadol didn't have a great result against France, but they held them for a long time. They are better than I think they showed that day. Norway beat Iraq relatively comfortably. Iraq David would have counted themselves, but this is a kind of test of a different order of magnitude. So this is, in all honesty, this is one of the games I've been looking forward to the most from the group phase.

1:08:51I think this is really interesting, this one. You and me both, in every regard, we are on the home stretch, which means it's time to check in and see what everyone suddenly believes. We'll look at calcium percentages to capture the vibe of the moment with the most interesting question of the day. And look here on the screen, will a nation outside of South America and Europe win this tournament? That's what we're asking. And there's an 88 % chance of a big no, keeping in line with every single tournament in history. But there is a 12 % chance and it is growing. someone from Africa and North America or Asia could lift a trophy between the US, Japan and others, Cape Verde.

1:09:32Where do you land on this one, Roel? I'd have said that the most likely of the teams we've seen so far to actually win the whole thing, Roger, Morocco, they look like the team with the best calibre. Coach Poach. Coach Poach will be, well, I mean, look, there's, as you say, Japan, the US have kind of emerged with credit. I think Senegal, Ivory Coast need to be taken seriously. Despite both having lost a game, I think they will, that they will pose a threat potentially later on in the tournament. Morocco are the team from outside Europe or South America. So although I would say that there's more than a 12 % chance, I would still be inclined to say no.

1:10:05For my part, my head is telling me the United States are going to do it. And then Coach Poach is going to live out his dream with the move he's always dreamed of, the big career move that he's always wanted, which is Poach to the Irvine Police Force. They'll give him a little cyber truck to run around. and in 20 years time, kids will come up to him and be like, you look just like... He'll be like, I know, but that's all crow. He'll just be driving around, pop the siren on, go and solve some crimes. Maybe not. Okay, it's time for the food. Thank you for all your nice messages. I don't know how much you feel about the food, so I always get nervous.

1:10:46But this is the European mind cannot comprehend. This is unbelievable looking. I've got to be candidly, the tinfoil's not. It depends how you define the word unbelievable. First time we're not in the same room together for this segment, but this is one of the best ones. I got you a chili dog from Pink's Hot Dogs right here in LA. It's beautiful looking. I mean, this is just guaranteed diarrhea. Are you familiar with chili dogs, Rob? Familiar with the concept. Does Pink's open up a chili dog stand in Yorkshire? I don't think I've ever had a chili dog before. I am familiar with the concept, though.

1:11:17So, I mean, I assume it's best served lukewarm. that is how all food has to be consumed. Oh my God. I need to make it clear. Yeah. The straw in might be a little bit out this time because all I've eaten today is a banana. So it may well be that anything tastes amazing. All I've done is eat three bananas, Ro. Interesting. We're both going to be very regular. Genuinely living off nanas at the moment. But chili dogs are possibly, I don't like to be hyperbolic, the greatest American invention since a light bulb or Landon Donovan's hairpiece, one or the other. Ro, take a bite. Enjoy the flavours, the odour, the textures, the aura of the chilli dog.

1:11:54And then I'm going to guess your score. Do you have your score? Oh, my God. Oh, my God. It's so good. I do have a straw. Best pink sink, Zareal. I think you've given this 7.2. You got the 0.2 right. It's a 6. Is it really? It's a 6.2. God, you've become a very severe Yorkshireman on this stuff, Roar. We will get you one day with our chilly dogs. Each one will get you closer to moving to the United States of America, naming your next child, Juice, and proudly rocking a live free or die tattoo. It's happening. As is New Zealand, 1-0 up on Egypt. Crap, you're not. Tim Payne's got an assist. He heard you guys telling us that we were dissing him, And he's like, no, I'm going to get myself a million Insta followers now.

1:12:49But it's time as we finish in our traditional way, dear listeners, to share your World Cup journey, your wonders with us. We want to hear from you. Tell us the best of your World Cup journeys, experiences, memories. You might hear your story on this show. Every one we read. As of now, we're going to send a patch to you. And if you want this rest of a chilly dog, just tell me. GFOP Sandy Hartwicker email us with your address I'm going to send you a patch everyone we read out we will send a proper proper thank you to because these are beautiful you can hit us in Discord the Men in Blazers Discord so beautiful in match day send us an email meninblazersgmail.com it's GFOP Sandy Hartwicker it's Roar doing the honours Hey Roger and Rory just thought I would share a full circle World Cup moment with you wheels within wheels in 1989 as a 15 year old I spent the summer in Scotland playing soccer with an American team.

1:13:41We were hosted by families in Glasgow. I was placed with a family in the working-class neighbourhood of Pollock. No C. It was a time of de-industrialisation and widespread unemployment, but you would never know that from the way I was treated by my host family and the wider community. The clearest example was that my host brother, a lifelong Celtic fan, took me to a pre-season Rangers game at Ibrox. The entire time he kept looking around like he was a spy in enemy territory about to be caught at any moment. Overall, I had a great experience with the exception of the boiled cabbage I choked down at dinner.

1:14:14Like a pink hot dog. Fast forward to 2026. What did he give the boiled cabbage rule? I've eaten boiled cabbage at 0.4. Fair. It has some nutritional value. Generous. Does it? Fast forward to 2026 and I'm living in Boston, a city that is not unlike Glasgow in character. Now I get to host and welcome the Tartan army to my city. there's plenty of darkness in the country that could bring somberness to the world cup but when you have guests you put that aside and make them feel welcome i learned that lesson from my home my host family in return for that generosity we are gifted glimpses of the human spirit cross-cultural celebrations and a renewed sense that it's the people that matter not the governments cheers alexander sand sandy hartwiger i tried to do it the middle bit in the in the Scottish accent?

1:14:59Sandy. Sandy. Sandy. Yeah. Which is Scottish for Alexander. It's true. It is beautiful. That is a, just a beautiful letter from the heart of Scottaeusetts. Yes, I'm trying to make that happen. I love it. And I feel you're bereft as you watch your Tarn Army moving on to conquer Newlands, Miami. It is amazing watching them ditch the beers for daiquiris. It is, yeah. I don't know whether it's going to work in Miami. I would personally prefer Muck, Massachusetts. I think that's the better way of doing it. I don't know whether the Titan Army in Miami will have quite the same vibe. And also, I guess expectations will be so high in Miami that they'll be kind of expecting them to perform to a certain level, which might change it.

1:15:40Do that thing you do. Do that crazy thing you do. Dance, monkey in kilt. Dance. They just want to get back to Boston, play Germany in the knockout rounds, and that would be just epic. I remember when my wife and I went to a wedding in Minnesota about 12 years ago and we had a really nice time with all of our friends. Look at this small town in Minnesota. It was amazing. And we went to California on holiday afterwards. And that first night we were in this beautiful like little guest house in the Sonoma Valley. And we were both in a really bad mood and we couldn't work out why it was. And it was that we were sad that we weren't with our friends anymore.

1:16:16And I think that's how the Tartan Army will feel. They'll feel like they'll have a great time in Miami. It's an amazing place. beaches, alligators, all that business. But there will be part of them that's a bit like, oh, it's not as good as Boston. And I think that might change the vibe a little bit. It's a beautiful story. It's also a sad story, Rook. Just update the listeners. Tell everything's okay in the end. We are still married. We have subsequently had two children. It's fine. And subsequently our lives fell apart. We realised we've got different ways. And it was a whole, oh my God. And now we no longer speak.

1:16:47It's all the Scottish people's fault. No, I think the Strots, the high of Boston will be hard to match. The high of Boston will be hard for the Strots to match in Miami, but they'll give it a go. That's what you can say about the Strots. They'll give it the best. That's all we can ask for. A quick word before we go. I don't know if you know, Ro, I'm still buzzing from the time in Seattle. I miss that city. I really profoundly do. What a day, what a place. Could only have been you, Seattle. But I can't wait to do it again this Thursday before the United States take the field again at the historic Union Station, which is, if you don't know, it's one of the most beautiful landmarks in this city, an incredible place for us to go and do Matchday Live.

1:17:29We have a beautiful, beautiful cast. We're going to be live there with, and it's free, and I was there today. It is a stunning setting, and it was mobbed. U.S. Women's Captain Lindsay Heap, she'll be with us. Our friend, Kyle Beckerman, he's back. Oh, the great thespian, Ty Burrell, huge football fan. We've got LA royalty in the shape of Mr. Todd Gurley. It is going to be special. Come be with us. Going to be loud, full of amazing energy. For more information, hit the show notes. Try not to belch after eating that pink hot dog. That's it from us. We'll be back tomorrow live from the bus. I'm lost around my bus.

1:18:07I'm like a snail without its shell. Come join us right here on YouTube. The great Humphrey Carr. We'll be back in our loving arms. Can't wait to see that very tall, joyous bloke. Roar, enjoy the next 24 hours in the city as much as the Scots enjoyed Florida today. I'm going to go and get some actual food, Rog. I'm taking you out, baby. I can't wait to try a haggis cubano. This is Rog saying big, big love, courage, Cape Verde. Obrigado. Parabéns.

1:18:55At dadurch, données-errorism can Nederstense dolphins on fire! Thank you.