Cape Verde fall to Argentina in an all-time classic: Night Cup 07/03/26

23:23Rog:He was. He was doing it for different reasons. He was doing it for the gram. He's doing it to get a move to a big old club now. I think Betty's completely right. I think that it's not just that when they get to the World Cup, players like Vazenia, the rest of that Cape Verde team, but also like Curacao, Haiti, all those kind of underdog teams. They're doing it for their country. Thank you, Betty. They're doing it, those poor, unknown footballers from Scotland who just had to come and defend. That's all they had to do. No, but they're doing it for the country. They're doing it for kind of, yeah, that underdog spirit.

23:55But also, I think they're doing it for themselves. I think there is a sense of they want to prove they can breathe in this air. I think that's what it is, that Vizinha is 40. He's never going to get another chance unless he plays at the next World Cup. You know, he's never previously had the chance to play against Messi, against Pedri, against, you know, Dani Olmo or whoever. This is his moment. and I think that one of the things that makes them elite athletes and us people who live on a bus is that when they get their moment... Welcome to Fantasy Island. They take it. Do you know what I mean?

24:28It's been amazing throughout this tournament to see these players who are kind of... Yeah, they're like the random players who are just not really... They're having perfectly good careers. They're much better at football than any of us, but they are not the elite of the elite.

24:41Rog:You saw that for 80 minutes against England. It was like you're seeing that I guess the Delta is players who are all looking at each other again. We're just going to bring this. This is like this is it for us. You know, Declan Rice has played like what, 67 games this season. He's had many highs, the Champions League final, the Champions League semifinals, the massive clash. This is their everything. You know what I mean? And they're everything in that and that collective heightened performance. I mean, you saw it with Congo, just the overwhelming surge almost. It's a great intangible in World Cup football.

25:19It's interesting, but I also feel like they've just been so well prepped for this tournament as well. And I think you've just got to give them credit. You've got to give their coaches credit. That mentally to be able to come in and compete with these teams. They haven't lost in normal time. And they've come up against Spain and Argentina. It is astonishing. but also they beat Cameroon to get to this World Cup and Cameroon are Africa's most successful team at getting to the World Cup.

25:47Rog:They deserve to be there and they deserve to be where they are in our memory. At James Wilson Run says, aura farming from now on will just be called Vazina-ing. There was another tete-a-tete. Messi kept running around every time Vazina was up to it and there was just a look on Messi's face suddenly around like 80 minutes where he was pulling the exact, I was like, we've never seen that before. It was like the exact same bewildered face that he pulled when TSA at the airport said they wanted to check the bags and pat him down. He was completely and utterly confused as to how this thing that was happening to him was happening.

26:28Rog:And into extra time, felt like order triumphed over chaos. Corner flicked on, ball dropped to an unmarked, Lissandro Martinez far post, too much time, smashed home. past a really cruelly exposed goat Vizinha. And the moment honestly felt so sad. Things I've not felt in sports. Like I'm used to Everton losing, you know. I'm used to international team. I love the US occasionally losing in horrific fashion. This felt like Mufasa betrayed by his brother while trying to save his son. That level of sad, you know what I mean? Like poor John Coffey, that gentle, kind man with miraculous healing powers who's wrongfully executed for a crime he didn't commit in the Green Mile.

27:11Rog:That tear-jerking. It's like watching Bing Bong fade away and inside out. Did it not feel like that for you, Beth? No. No, it didn't. Because I was watching Cape Verde and they were giving it to Argentina. They were attacking. They had chances. You had no doubt. Oh, I'd give up on that moment. No, no. I gave up. I rolled over. I thought Argentina are going to end up winning this game. But I was like, oh, hello. Cape Verde aren't just cowering away here, just trying to, you know, stay in it. Well, it's amazing when you were thinking Cape Verde could get this. I didn't like Bing Bong. You didn't?

27:48You did? Really annoying. Did he remind you of me? No, he reminded me of the mannequin piss, which is also annoying.

27:57Rog:Don't do that again. Don't do that again. I don't actually know what Bing Bong is. Bing Bong was a beautiful elephant in Inside Out, like the childhood toy of the lead character. And in a very heartbreaking character, the thing that she relied upon sacrificed himself so that she could find a sense of wholeness and it just fades away very, very slowly. It's genuinely, I mean, outside of Schindler's List, it's one of the most emotionally difficult movie scenes. Can't say I've ever watched it. It's a similar emotional tone, definitely. It is. I thought the way they'd played that you couldn't rule them out.

28:34And also it looked to me a little bit like Argentina were not the kind of super assured Argentina that we've seen between winning the World Cup in Qatar and like yesterday. They looked a little bit like panicky Argentina where everything... There was a time not that long ago when an Argentina team that contained most of these players was the international team that always managed to find a way to mess everything up. And it looked a bit like Argentina had seen a ghost. That's what I thought.

28:59Rog:That's so true, dude. I agree. I mean, they didn't look like, I mean, Argentina do not blow opponents away. They just did not seem in control and they did not seem confident. And it seemed like there was a sense of their own vulnerability. I want to apologize to the chat that's very annoyed at my inside out spoilers. Probably as annoyed at them as that one mad Belgian as he writes letters angrily about Rory Smith and the mannequin piss attack, which you keep sustaining. I don't know why you do it. I like the mannequin piss. Although I do think it's a bit weird that the child's got its bits out in a public setting.

29:34Rog:It's Jenny. It's Jenny. Thank you. But Cape Verde, have no respect. 103rd minute. One of the most stunning moments I've seen in sports since the last Cape Verde goal. It's honestly one of my most stunning moments in life. It really was. It was that incredible. I kept trying to think, when have I felt this in my life? Sidney Cabral, if you didn't see it, Sidney, that man's last move was for$950 ,000. That's like queens in the couch of football. He's a bit player in European football, cut inside from distance and just thought, you know what? Against the best goalkeeper in the world on some lists.

30:19Rog:I'm just going to do this. He just gave him, just gave him just, I mean, just humiliated. And we just destroyed. Diba, if you gave this man 100 tries at doing that, how many do you think would go in? Well, I don't know. He was down the right-hand side, wasn't he? And I think everyone thought, oh, he's going to cross it in. He's going to cross it in. And then he just absolutely went for gold, didn't he? And it was stunning. It was such a good goal. It's one of the best moments. It will go down in World Cup history, won't it? That goal will go down in World Cup history. I don't like to be hyperbolic.

30:53Rog:That goal should win the next 10 Puskas awards at least. It's got strong, pustous vibes. That does. It does. It does scream. And the wind cries, pustous gas. Is that what you're saying? I think that it feels very pustous. And£2.7 million move to MLS. That's what it feels like. Does it feel pustousy to you? It feels pustousy to me, Rog. Very pustousy.

31:17Martinez is on top. He's the best on the world in some list. Are they the list that he himself has drawn up? Is that what you mean?

31:24Rog:No, that's really rude. It's his agent who draws him up. It was a genuine... If Debu Martinez was going to draw a top 10 list of goalkeepers, it would be Emi Martinez, number one. Debu Martinez, number two. Debu, number three. Big M, number four. Big M. The thing is about Debu that he is the goalkeeper who's... He's the only goalkeeper who's ever got close on a World Cup stage to doing the Wayne's World swing movement, isn't he? He did. He's come closer than anybody else. I bet you Big M does love. Big M, I bet you respect Big M. I bet you love Wayne's World. And oddly likes Wayne's World two more, which is a bad cut.

32:07Rog:A lot of people annoyed at you, Rory. At Ryan Lanscroft says, Rory comes out as anti-bing-bong. Hot take. At Cam Gorday says, Rory gives bing-bong a 4.2 rating. God bless. 100 tries. At most. Yeah, I know. I've got to say, to get that ball up and down from there, just show your ears. It was like erotica. It really was. I have, I put that as the top, it gets into the top five moments of my life, that goal. What did you do? Did you cry? I screamed really loudly. Really. I made the same noise. I've got four kids and I made the noise I did when each of them popped out in the birthing room. So I don't know where it comes in my top five, but it's in there.

32:54Why are you screaming when your kids were born? They're so beautiful.

32:56Rog:Yeah, that's not helpful. Men aren't helpful. It's just like we're useless. But it's beautiful. And that goal was similarly beautiful. I mean, where did it rank for you, Betty, moving on from me? Moments in my life? Yeah. I think up there in the top four. I mean, I'm only 31. So I haven't had too many, like, wow moments. Engagement. That was, yeah. Visiting the Curacao second goal. Curacao second, the Cape Verde second goal. Yes, right. Ahead of engagement. Yeah, it would. High five for you, honestly. You can keep rocking it on this bus. Roar, where's it rank for you?

33:42Rog:Oh, Roar is just stunned into silence. I think the answer. You know, when you say something about Ronaldo on television, there's a lot of Ronaldo, it's almost like bot forms that come on and tell you that. I think the same with Bing Bong. If you diss Bing Bong publicly, they freeze your steam roar. Where does it rank for your roar? I mean, I think getting married was better, Rog, if I'm completely honest. But it was, look, I think what it said to me... To me or to Kate? I like both my spouses. I'm a very happy bigamist.

34:17no like what it says to me is that the gap between if you say like messy out of it but the gap between your average elite footballer who plays in the you know premier league or a leader or whatever and earns hundreds of millions of millions of pounds a year and the guy playing in the spanish second division that gap's not that big it can it can't is often not to do with talent it's to do with luck injury commitment maybe a sort of a bad move when they're younger like the The borders are really, really porous. And Sidney Lopez-Trabel is capable of doing that. He just happened to do it on the biggest stage imaginable.

34:52And whether that's the best role I've ever seen or the best moment of my life is irrelevant. It'll be up there for him. And that's what really matters. And his celebration. He was pretty stunned. Everybody else was stunned. Argentina fans were stunned. The Cape Verde fans literally didn't know what to do. and he ran up straight away into the stand to try and find his partner, his wife, his whatever, his partner. And it was just, it was like he was like, oh my God, he couldn't believe it. And that was the first person that he wanted to see. And that's what the World Cup is about, all these moments.

35:24Rog:He tried to kick the corner flag and miss, which makes me kind of validate my sense that out of 100 chances, I had to think it would be very low and it makes it even more ecstatic because this goal was really, it was human inspiration. That's what made it feel so powerful. Lived out with billions watching live. It was hit on world champion Argentina. Timo, I think, had allowed two goals in their last 10 games. It was audacious. It was tenacious. It made anyone who was watching feel so unbelievably alive. We all shared it together. It was raw. It was humanly inspiring, man. But also, it broke the pattern.

36:04the rule is the underdogs get one go they get to equalize once they get to they get to cause trouble once they don't get to go again and Cape Verde went again and they went again in that this this incredible style in extra time and at that point Rog I thought this goes to penalties and Argentina lose and I couldn't quite work out whether you did yeah because I couldn't work out whether the only thing that made me think that it wouldn't end like that was that I mean I don't I don't want to get into sort of matters of theology it feels a bit too late for that No, no, no, no. It's why we're here, beautiful.

36:39Rog:Oh, the bing-bong faction. Raw, the bing-bongers are taking you out. You've got to start that again, Book. Your theology.

36:50Finish. Would they let Lionel Messi's World Cup career finish with a penalty defeat to Cape Verde? I'm not sure they would.

36:58Rog:What if there was a God, you mean? Yeah, yeah. Did that prove to you? That's so funny. When they scored, I said, I think to, that was my explanation. I didn't know if it proved that there was a God or it proved there was no God in that moment. Maybe it proved both. That's so funny. I mean, maybe God was just trying to confuse us with that storyline. But it's so funny, both of us, it was that epic that it felt theological, man. Maybe God likes tennis.

37:32Rog:Pickleball. It's easier on the back. It did feel like the air was sucked out of that stadium. I did think of Ronaldo watching in his tighty-whities. Probably just drawing so much life and strength in this moment. Cape Verde, tiny Cape Verde, drinking Messi's milkshake. But we know there's no romance in sports. Corner, once again, set-piece coming to Argentina's rescue. Messi put the corner into a lethal area I think it was Kuti Romero headed down off the hand of the defender Dine flicked it away cruelly from Vazinha and the Argentinian players went utterly berserk, it was fascinating watching the Argentinian coach he'd been so chill Lionel, just so chill, like trying to project a calm constantly on the bench but in that moment he just put his hands over his face and you saw all the stress that he'd really been masking just kind of just kind of pour out that was in its own way actually quite harrowing to witness it's hard being a coach bet yeah do you know what i think it just shows how much credit cape verd deserve for making argentina sweat like that and the celebrations like you say of the argentina players afterwards when they got that last minute, well, that winner, that they, it was pure relief, all of that stress, like you say.

39:02And that's credit to Cape Verde for making them feel like that.

39:06Rog:Making them sweat. And I was sort of watching it and I was thinking, why are you celebrating so much? Like, on paper, you should be winning this. Like, you shouldn't, you should have had this wrapped up. Have some dignity. So why are you celebrating so much? I was a bit like that. It was, it was. I mean, Argentina, remember, they beat the Netherlands in an epic game in the winter penalties and the first impulse at the last World Cup was to laugh in the face of the woefully traumatized Dutch players. There's somebody in that spirit, in that moment. And it's actually what probably drives them forward is there is a callousness and there is just an inward-lookingness.

39:43Rog:And, you know, survive in advance, think only about yourself. But it was heartbreaking. Ninth assist all-time in the World Cup for Messi. Second now, all-time behind Pele. I found the reaction from the Argentinian fans really astonishing, talking about the manager, we talked about the players. When England score, and this is back in your theological setting, when England score, I was at the Congo game, I was really struck with all the England fans around me. I mean, it's like a release of anger. It's like a bellowing into that. I mean, I took photos of some of the England fans around me. I was so like, it was so fascinating to watch.

40:24Rog:It was almost like Hulk transformation poses all around me. Not mocking any of it. I'm just fascinated by it. It was just like rage, energy, 100 beers, just like a bellowing. When Argentina score and you look at the crowd, it feels, if you didn't know what it was, it feels like an evangelical church. Just the acts of celebration feel almost religious tears, a lot of prayers, a religious collective ecstasy. I'd love to talk to Brene Brown. She talked about, I mean, what drew her to football was those moments. Like, there's a religious theologian, Durkheim, who talked about collective effervescence.

41:03Rog:That was collective effervescence. It's so different what we're used to from the Premier League. Where it's like wanker signs immediately. Yeah. There is a religious element. there's definitely like a religious not element it's a religious kind of feel to that worship of Messi and it feels to me like the players we've said this before Roger I think the players the fans the coaching staff I think they feel that this is some sort of like pilgrimage or calvary or something where they have to suffer this so that Lionel can be can be delivered that is definitely a thing and if you when you're around the Argentine fans that the the genesis of the Wayne's World joke, the we're not worthy thing, like it does feel like they kind of mean it, like he is an almost sanctified figure in Argentina and I think that's the difference that, yeah when England's draw it is a kind of

42:02Rog:I can't stand to say nice things about England With Argentina it feels a little bit more like they're having a religious experience it's an ecstasy and it is that's it that's the word it's an ecstasy it is it's a by the way it's a huge big ten religion it's not just in Argentina it's like in the Philippines in Bangladesh it's I mean it's a global evangelical sense of wonder there's cleverer people and me out there who do study the tenets of evangelism who can no doubt correct me or give us insight AJ Piano says quite astutely the atmosphere after the game was somehow how evocative of both teams having been winning.

42:46Rog:Look, Argentina survived in advance. They were scared, I think is your point. They stared into an abyss of humiliation, their darkest fears. They survived to tell the tale. But, I mean, ultimately, the last word on this is Cape Verde. This night was theirs, this tiny team. We didn't know who they were. We didn't know where they were from. We now know about the 10 scattered islands. many of which are unpopulated off West Africa. We know by right population, 500 ,000. Everyone now knows. Everyone loves them. Everyone respects them. And on a football field, everyone fears them. Their flag is now known across the world, which might be, I think, one of the greatest legacies of this World Cup.

43:32Rog:I mean, they are the people's World Cup champions. There is no doubt 2026. And we were chatting before we went on. And the core value of what they've given us is really hope. It is hope. And it's keep going. Even when you feel like you're down and out, you've just got to keep fighting for it. And if you're an underdog, then you've got to have that belief in yourself, which is what they had. But I just think when you think about the 2026 World Cup, you're 100 % going to be thinking about Cape Verde, aren't you? You just are. What a moment. It doesn't matter who wins this World Cup and what they do to get there.

44:09you are going to think about Kate Verde and everything that they left on that pitch aren't you? Vecina made more dribbles than Cristiano Ronaldo has in this tournament so far can you believe it? that's a great stat

44:23Rog:it's a crazy stat if you think about 1990 if you're old enough which Betty's not you think about Cameroon Roger Miller, it was the Vecina nowhere before Abraham No, that is Cameroon's World Cup. They made the quarterfinals. It was a smaller tournament, half the size. But they made the quarterfinals, and that's what people of my generation, your generation, Rog, that's what we remember is Cameroon's World Cup. So, yeah, this will be Vizinha's World Cup and Cape Verde's World Cup and the Titan Army's World Cup. It'll be those three things. That's what we'll remember. Yeah, I mean, it's so funny, man.

44:57Rog:That is how I button this up too, man. Exactly the same rule in a slightly different way. Not going to lie, when I told you all that I'm a lifelong Cape Verde, fan. Slightly exaggerate. I was. Really? Really? I really believed you. The passion. You did? Did you really? You know, I wasn't into football when I grew up as a young boy in Cape Verde, to be candid, so it took me a little while to get into them. But the lightness they've given us. I mean, here's the lightness that they've given us. The joy, the wonder. I believe they've been the antidote to so much of the darkness that surrounds us in the world, and that's what's made them so gravitationally fascinating.

45:41Rog:And you're right, when the 2026 story is told, the telling of this story will be a core part of it. Its scope and scale will get bigger with every telling. Having said that, Roald, the one thing that made me pause for thought is that the Tarn Army felt like the greatest thing to ever happen to America when we were living it. And now it feels like it happened about four or five years ago already. Yeah, it does. No, you're right. It feels like a thing that belongs to a different time. But I think you have to remember that we're still in it. We're still in the World Cup. This sacral six-week period is still going on.

46:18And it will only really be in three, five, six months' time that we start to realise which bits truly stay with us. I think the Titan Army will. I think the Titan Army in Boston will be a thing. And I think Cape Verde... The thing you said about the flag, Rog, that's absolutely right. I'm pretty good on flags. It's one of my sources of pride. I would have struggled with Cape Verde.

46:39Rog:When I think of Ruhr, I do think flags. That man knows his flags. Yeah, flags. He's flag-bellied flags. Not like in a nerdy way. I don't know, like, military, like, Navy signs and stuff. I'm not one of those people. But country flags, I quite like. Cape Verde I'd have struggled with, but not anymore. People will know Cape Verde's flag. That's what the World Cup does. It's the only stage that can do that. And I'm not a flag person, but I think I will be now because I've added an extra flag to my brain. You give off quite a flaggy vibe, I'd say. Yeah. Well, different kinds of people. Flaggy vibe?

47:12Rog:You're either a flag person or a... What does that mean? I don't know. We're divided into flag people and non-flag people. I think a flag person is quite like geeky, I'd say. Nerdy. I think... And that's why Rory is a flag person. Because he's a massive nerd. That's why he's a massive flag person, right? Yeah. Massive. Massive. Honestly, you leave the bus for 48 hours and suddenly people down up on you. By the way, I love you all the more because you are a flag person, Ro. I'm a little bit annoyed about Bing Bong. That attack felt personal. But let's leave the last word to Virginia, who came on our show.

47:50Rog:Honestly, when it happened, this is one of the highlights of my footballing life. He did the thing. He did the seven saves against Spain. and then that afternoon he came on our show. And back then, this struck me when he said it, and then he lived this out. This is part human poetry, part prophecy. Roll Vazinha. After all, Cap, everyone will know who is Cap Verde and where is Cap Verde. What do you want the world to say about Cap Verde after today? We are a small country, but we have a big heart, and we are very resilient. We are proud to be Cap Verdean, and we are here to show them we will fight everything and we will do everything to put the name of Cup Fair to everyone.

48:34He knew.

48:36Rog:He knew. He knew. No BS, that man, man. No BS, but he knew then, Rourke. He's going to be the DP at the New England Revolution within about three weeks. God bless. He did his first brand deal, I think, on his Instagram the other day, so he's just going to become an influencer now. Sit back, kick his feet up. That's what he's going to be doing. Will he be a good influencer or a bad influencer? What do we think? I think he'll be quite good. Based on what? I mean, there was a scenario where he becomes like a right-wing dictator now and just use that huge platform to overthrow this, you know. No, I'm hoping he just tries to sell you soap or something.

49:17Do you know what I mean? I'm hoping it doesn't go that deep.

49:19Rog:Yeah, all he wants to do is go to the Met Ball. That kind of thing. Exactly. That would be amazing. Do you think he's got it in him to launch a crypto coin? I hope not. I hope he doesn't go down that hole. That would be amazing. Like Walk2a, you mean? Like Walk2a, yeah. That would be amazing. It could go one of two ways. And let's think in this moment, joyfully, positively, wondrously, I've got a feeling he's going to use it for the power of good. At SunZoom5650, Roar's never seen a red flag he didn't like. Oh, my God. AJ Piano got one tonight. The word is vexologist. I know because I am one. Is that the word?

50:00Rog:It's got a word. Oh, no, it's not. Vexilologist. It's vexilologist, yeah. Yeah, I read it wrong. AJ Piano knows. I'm just a moron. 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 where 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.

50:42Rog:Just head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details. To the football. To more together. carriage. Australia won, Egypt won. Egypt win on penalties for two. Two teams just dreaming the same dream. Please, God, let us win our first ever knockout game in World Cup history. Egypt haven't made it past the group stage since 1934. There they are. By the way, 1934 is when this World Cup started. But, my God, Mo Salah back in the squad. Now officially a free agent back from the hamstring knack. You were there, Roar. You were at the game. What was the vibe like around Gerry World this morning?

51:27There were three teams playing, Rog. Egypt, Australia and Liverpool, judging by the shirts in the crowd. I think most people had come to see Mo Salah. That's what the vibe was. This is what I found. They would knock off Liverpool shirts in Arabic. Those guys were there. More Liverpool fans. This was like me standing outside for like three minutes. Crucially, outside the stadium footprint, so I was allowed to film. FIFA can't do anything about it. Yeah, Salah was... It showed you what a draw Salah is. The number of people who turned up in Liverpool shirts who had no obvious affiliation to either of those teams.

52:07Just to see Mo play. He wasn't fit. I would say Mo Salah's not fully fit. That's fairly obvious. It was exactly the game you thought it would be. It was strappy and intense. and both teams kind of decided very early on, I think, that they knew that they could see a way to get to penalties. Not that they tried to get to penalties, they both pushed when they could, but I think they both had it in the back of their minds, this is a really good chance to get into the last 16, let's not waste it.

52:33Rog:Yeah, the goals were pretty fascinating. It did feel like a game where both teams were thinking about the fear of losing rather than the desire to win. There was an MMS Shaw scored for Egypt, fine header. And I loved his effort. He did the, to celebrate, did the Conor McGregor billionaire walk. And then he realized halfway through that he failed to get the right camera. Nightmare. Yeah, I mean, you don't score, do your sally. You know, and have the world think you were doing the walk like an Egyptian by mistake. So he like celebrated with his teammates and then did the whole thing again, right into camera, gifting the highlight editors the shot they wanted, they needed, so they could feature on repeat in the bump to break.

53:18Rog:Huge respect. Professional. Yeah. I mean, get the camera right. That's the second thing that you need to do correctly when you score a goal is you've got to work out which camera it is and do your celebration into that camera. Rookie error. Broadcasting professional, Betty Glover. I just looked into the wrong camera then myself, actually, so that was quite embarrassing. I need two. And now Australia had to do something that they'd not done in literally three weeks, 250 minutes of live football. They hadn't scored a big boy goal. Started to lump it into the box. It was very old school Australia, not the new speedy counterattacking stuff.

53:57Rog:Set piece, dangerous flat pace on the delivery. I think Egypt were fearful of Soutar. Who isn't? Let's be honest. And the ball glanced off Mohamed Haney's gorgeous curls. Own goal. I've got to say own goal been quite quiet recently, but at a day, Hanni became the first, by the way, own goals most ever now. 13th of the tournament. I think there was another one later. 14 now. And God bless Hanni. Scored twice in a World Cup into his own net. So at least he's consistent. But that too is a, he's prolific. It wasn't the sort of own goal where you think he should feel bad though. Some own goals you do think that they're going to feel really terrible about it.

54:41This one was just the ball hitting. There was nothing you could do about it.

54:44Rog:Yeah, we knew as soon as it went in, extra time was coming. We knew nothing would come. Right towards the end, don't know how you feel about that, Roar. The Australians made a big move. They took out their quite excellent find of a keeper. Patrick Beach put in Matty Ryan. It's like a tribute to 2014's coaching brilliance when Louis van Gogh brought in Tim Krul for Jasper Sillensen and experienced glory. I'm sure you got a theory roar because Matty Ryan ultimately didn't get near any one of these. I've got several competing theories, Rog. So we know my theory that players who are brought on to take penalties always miss.

55:24That happens every single time. If you are a player who is brought on just to take a penalty, you will miss that penalty. Refuse to go on the pitch. It's a hiding to nothing. I also have a theory that goalkeepers who are sent on to save penalties don't save penalties. This is particularly true when they're Matt Ryan, who as far as I know is not a particularly expert penalty saver. It's a trick. from Tim Krul. Tim Krul did it once and then loads of people have decided it's a thing. But it's a trick. They're doing it to say, look, we're in this guy on. He must be a good penalty saver. But he's not.

55:56Ryan guessed right the first way. He guessed right on the first one. But the problem that I had was that that first penalty was Saber, the Egyptian player, brought on to take a penalty against Matt Ryan, the goalkeeper, brought on to save a penalty.

56:09Rog:It's your two theories. That's true. I didn't think of it like that. Clashing theories. And he scored. What was amazing, as soon as they saw Matty Ryan was on, the Egyptian players gathered around the laptop to watch a game in which he'd done a penalty shootout. It's an amazing photograph. You can see all of them just sat around looking at Matt Ryan's movement, worshipping almost, and it was really remarkable to witness. And it carried out, the penalty shootout was defined by two remarkable Australian misses. First was Harry Suter, the hero. I think the commentator shouted, he's a rock. Ayers Rock.

56:49Rog:Forgetting that Ayers Rock was a place where they didn't go, hey, my babies. You saw his eyes, sunken, exhausted. He stepped up to the ball. And, oh, my God, if only he'd unleashed the ball. If only he had a name for what he did with the ball. It was awful. That was awful. If only that kind of awful had a name. We do have a name. Bird bug.

57:17When you told me about that, I had quite low expectations, but I didn't realise that it would be a full-on graphic on the screen and everything.

57:26Rog:We spent all our money on it. Can we cue that one up? We set all of the budget for the entire show. This graphic costs more than the budget. Wow. Who voiced that? I think it was Pepe Mullinstein. That's why it costs so much. Does this mean Betty's not seen the Wormburner graphic? No, I haven't. No, we're going to save that for the right... Oh! Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That looks like a 90s crisp advert, doesn't it? It does, yeah. A little bit. Don't say that. We actually just stole it from a 90s crisp advert and stuck the word over in Photoshop. We're very cheap. That really excites me. I've got to be candid.

58:10Rog:At SunZoo5650, he says, poor bird. We did actually use a bird. It was a real-life bird to make that one. Also, the problem, Roger, was we had to sacrifice quite a lot of birds to make sure we got the angles right. So there was a lot of death. There was a lot of animals harmed in the making of that video. Dozens. So the person who gets angry about the mannequin piss, I'm joking. There were no animals in that. Don't put the email down Put the email down Everyone else converted Including Mo Salah You liked Mo Salah's pen Didn't you? Oh come on With velocity It was like a change up Penenka It was so Mo Did you love it?

58:51Do you know what I loved most about it Rog? What? Matt Ryan had been Had been giving it all that Been giving it a bit of the old duck To him yeah Before the penalty Quack quack quack quack And Salah steps back Marks out his run up run up, does the run up dead fast and then slows down. The little Penenka sits Matty Ryan down. I've done nothing to name Matt Ryan. He seems like a perfectly nice man. And then Mo Salah, who has been miserable for a year. He's been miserable for personal agony, for professional frustration. He's just looked really unhappy for most of the last year. And Salah turned round.

59:23He'd celebrated and he turned round and looked at Matt Ryan with the biggest grin on his face. And it was so nice to see Mo Salah smile. To smile like wholly and warmly with his entire a body. Mo Salah is enjoying being at the World Cup. I was genuinely delighted for him.

59:39Rog:He really is. By the way, it's so nice that Mo just finally found a source of happiness, which is another person's complete and utter misery and humiliation inflicted by Mo Salah. Mo Salah has learned that one of life's great pleasures is seeing an Australian lose at sport. We'll move on. Mannequin piss saving you from going there. Everyone else converted. And then the final kick for Australia, somebody I'd love to know who thought it was a good idea to dispatch under great pressure, must score penalty, 18-year-old child, Lucas Harrington. He walked to the spot. To me, he looked like such a baby.

1:00:21Rog:I couldn't stand looking, so I started to Google. Thank you, Google AI. So I was going to look up, what do Australians call their children? The first one was ankle biter. Good one. Okay. Yeah. Second one was a little Joey. My Australian accent is terrible. A little Joey? There you go. Thank you. The final one is incredible, and I just love it. It's so deep. Shark biscuit.

1:00:49Rog:There's so much in that. That is cold. Anyway, we had to look. Edvington plays for Colorado Rapids. Vizinha's future club. He's been the subject of interest from Barcelona. Stepped up. I watched the Brazilian commentary, and the Brazilian commentator said, look at the mature look in his eyes. And all I saw was a young kid doing the human thing and crapping his pants. I imagine he put himself forward, didn't he? So you've sort of got to give him kudos for that. It's hard. Why did they have two fullbacks taking penalties as well? It's baffling to me. It's the other agony of the whole thing. The ball hit the bar, game over.

1:01:31Rog:did respect Edvington he said afterwards beautifully how he's harder on himself than any critic could be and he looks forward to having another chance in the same situation which is elite mentality but at Billy T who might be Rory Smith's burner account said Australia should have kept their pens down under which is half funny first time ever Egypt won World Cup knockout game there in the last 16 it was amazing I mean I give you the last word Rory you were there I find it very moving watching Mo Salah, first of all, put on a comedy Pharaoh hat. Giddy, lols, having a blast, but tears. I mean, number one, this football mad nation who have long been a regional powerhouse, but have constantly failed in the World Cup, which has been humiliating, frustrating, I think quite confusing for them.

1:02:24Rog:They've made themselves known. But watching Mo, this man who's seen it all, done it all, scored against them all, won it all, still feeling the power of the World Cup like a kid. It's beautiful. Yeah, it is. And I was trying to work out, as he did the sort of lap of honour, how much the tears were to do with relief at having finally qualified through a knockout game. Pride, being the captain of the Egypt team that finally makes it through that knockout game. And sadness, because it's a year since Diogo Jota's death. and I think that all three of those things were mixed up in Salah. He's actually been, I find it quite inspiring, over the last year he's been incredibly open.

1:03:07He's really felt his feelings. He's really kind of allowed himself to live his feelings in public. And I think there's a really kind of crucial lesson for everybody in that. I think it's brilliant for people to see someone like Mo Salah being willing to kind of be open to their emotions and to display them, to see that there's no shame in it. I think it's really powerful. and you do, you have that feeling of it clearly meant so much to him that all this stuff swirling around but also that giddiness, that euphoria that made him want to put on a pharaoh hat, whatever that is. I don't know what pharaoh's hat's called.

1:03:38Rog:All the emotions. That's Google AI in a moment. All the emotions. The necklace is called an ant. I know that. I'm going to get to it in one set. I think you said it's beautiful. I interviewed Mo this season just after he had scored early and gone to the Kop to commune with him for the first time after Diego's passing with tears in his eyes. And a lot of the Liverpool players had made the decision to not talk about it because they didn't want to keep processing it in the media, which I also understand. He did want to talk about it. He really did. I mean, he was very, very eager to process it in public and talk about it and talk about his feelings.

1:04:20Rog:And I admired it greatly, miss him greatly. You saw Luis Diaz today score a goal ultimately offside, but in that beautiful moment, the first thing, his impulse was to honour Diogo with his signature celebration. And his memory does hang heavy over so many facets of this World Cup. May his memory be a blessing. And Roar, a pharaoh hat. It's called a Nemes, I don't know how you pronounce it. Nice, okay. Every day is a school day. Sounds like a player who'd sign for Wolves. Can I just say something on Australia? Oh, go on, Rory. Go on. I was just going to say, I'm sure Nemez is a player. I'm sure Nemez was a Slovakian striker.

1:05:03But go on. I was just going to say, when I worked in Australia during the Euros, the last Euros, and I was taken aback by how much they love football out there. They're so passionate about it. And I actually think, although a lot of my friends that are Australian are absolutely heartbroken off the back of this. But Australian football is in a really good place. They had one of the youngest squads in this World Cup. I think it was like an average age of 25. And if you compare that to Egypt, who had one of the oldest average ages in their squad as well. So I think they're in a really good place.

1:05:39I think they've got young players. They're only going to get better. And I just wanted to say that, just if anyone Australian was watching. And I'll shout out and reinforce that.

1:05:48Rog:I love their fans. I've really enjoyed it. I've spent a lot of time with Australian fans around the US games. And magic, just their passion, their dedication, the joy they're getting out of the sport. In many ways, they're parallel to where we are, trying to force their game up the charts. It's really similar. It's really beautiful. And I look forward to them learning from this, growing and being an even greater force out of Asia. In the nightcap, Colombia won, got on the nil. Clash between two teams. have promised they're going to become more aspirational, move into the elite without ever really doing so.

1:06:24Rog:Also share something else. Colombia is one of Ghana managers. Coles Kiros is many, many, many exes. Managed him 22 months across 2019 onwards. Sixth World Cup. Dude legit walked up into Kansas City. I think it was like 89 degrees at kickoff with a gold chain, sweater draped over his shoulders. He looked like a New York golf uncle who dabbles in waste management. I admire his style greatly. Both teams goal shy. Gone to have 15 shots total in the group stages. The lowest of all. That's Kira's ball. We've always said Colombia could be dangerous if they could find a sharper edge. Five minutes in, quite bizarre injury.

1:07:00Rog:Jean Cordoba ripped a fistful of Apuco's shirts and seemed to pull his groin in the process. That sacrifice. On came Luis Suarez. No, not that one. Not that one either. This is the sporting Lisbon striker who replaced Victor Jocherez. 38 goals last season. And manager Nesto Lorenz will be taking credit for that because 10 minutes later, Suarez cut a cross-back that's held inches over Luis Diaz's head. The Bayern Munich man streaking across the goal mouth and it fell to Jean Arias. One time passed it back across the goal for the opener. It was ecstatic. Garner had to sub out the injured Marvin Sanaya.

1:07:39Rog:First time in World Cup history. Both teams made the substitute in first 15 minutes. It reminded me when you get dressed in a snowsuit full-on. And then you decide you actually have to go to the bathroom. What else can we tell you? James Rodriguez hooked at halftime. My mate, Luis Diaz had the ball in the back of the net. We talked about that. Really platonic ideal of a Luis Diaz goal where he slid in, but it was offside. You love the Ghana goalkeeper, Lawrence Atizigi. Oh, Ziggy. Amazing. You know exactly how many saves you made, don't you? I don't know the exact number, but I can tell you it was a lot, Rog, because that was all he was doing.

1:08:14He kept Ghana in that game.

1:08:16Rog:I think it was eight, seven, eight, wasn't it? Because every time I told you what it was, you told me it was one more and you were always right. Yeah, yeah, it was eight. It was eight. Both teams wilted in the heat or eat too many burnt ends or whatever. By the way, I did love when the Columbia scored, the commentator shouted out, Andarou Head roars! We need to call these stadia by their real names. That is it. I don't know. The game was a bit lackluster after the MDMA buzz of Cape Verde. Ghana, for Kiroz's team, were a bit of a hot mess. They lacked organisation. And the sad totem ultimately, Raw, they had a weapon right there.

1:08:52Rog:Semenya, 21 goals on the season. I think zero shots on targets for the entire World Cup. It's like, Kiroz ball, not all chains that glitter a gold. Yeah, it felt a little bit like Ghana went out with a whimper, didn't it? Which is a shame. Because as you say, they did have, they maybe don't have the breadth of quality that Columbia have, but they weren't, you know, Colombia have got one world-class player in Luis Diaz and Ghana have one world-class player in Antoine Semenyo and Colombia worked out how to use theirs and Ghana didn't and that ultimately is on the coach and I think it'll be frustrating for the fans, for the team and probably most of all for Semenyo himself.

1:09:29Definitely. Semenyo was, you could see him shouting at his teammates, telling them to get in different areas. You could see he was so incredibly frustrated to be that good. We know what Antoine Semenyo is on the wing. So fast, brilliant, and you didn't see any of it.

1:09:45Rog:I mean, here he was shackled with defensive duties in the Kiroz system, which must have pissed him off no end. I will say one of the joys of my World Cup, a stealth joy, going to the Ghana game against Croatia, meeting so many members of the Ghanaian diaspora from across the United States who'd flown in to rock it with their team, experienced incredible joy. Big, big love to you all tonight. It was amazing to meet so many of you, proper Premier League maddies, Colombia will now face Switzerland in the next round. That's the big one. Quick word on the greatest team international football has ever seen.

1:10:20Rog:USA, USA, USA. Chance to show off on New Sting Raw.

1:10:28Rog:Soccer dudes. Nice. Oh, my God. Yes. Here come the soccer dudes. And you will fear the soccer dudes. that was worse than I thought it would be well we're running out of money better we're running out of money can I just play who is making me if anything it's too classy can we just play it one more time because I've got a tally winner but I believe he's a winner Soccer Dudes what is that is that a seagull what can I hear a bird yeah it's a bird burner that we killed for the for the other one we had to we got no money so we had to get a two-fuck. And we've threatened it and it made that noise and then we did the thing.

1:11:13Rog:You know what I mean? We ran out of money after bird bonus. That one was super cheap. Look, big news today from US camp. Today, Coach Boach. Coach Boach. On the first pitch. Yep. Do it out at the Mariners game. Let's take a look. He looks confident. He does. He's not on the mound though. That's a cheat. Oh. He looks cool What's he doing now? Oh I don't know What he's just got a lemon Out of his pants Yeah what did he get Out of his bucket? Probably a lemon With a bad energy Is that the Sucker dudes go hard Sorry I bet that's the first time He's thrown a ball With one hand in his life It was a very delicate Like he was trying to I don't know I think you'd give it A proper lob Wouldn't you?

1:11:58You'd probably go like Whoosh

1:12:00Rog:You know why There's a pitch called An ethos Where you do You throw it in Your full the batsman and I think that must have been what Potts was going for He looked like he was throwing a muffin to a friend Yes That's exactly right into his mouth

1:12:18Rog:That's it I was looking online at what people thought about it and a lot of people said that it was a good throw Potts is so in people's good graces right now that they're just like yeah he threw a strike we're going to win We need to set up people. Yeah, some people are so pumped about Potch at the moment that that ethos was seen by many to be in a great omen ahead of the Belgian game. God bless. I was actually asked to do and throw a pitch out at the Atlanta Braves, but I'm so stuck in the basement watching World Cup games. I couldn't get there. But if I did do it. Is it because you've got a bad throw?

1:12:54No, I've got a great throw.

1:12:55Rog:I've done it many times at the White Sox. I've got a beautiful throw. I can get pinpoint with great accuracy at 110 miles an hour. if I want. But, but, what I was going to do, what I was going to do if I could get out because I really wanted to do that. I love the Braves. The Braves are like an iconic franchise in my imagination from when I moved here. I was going to just get the ball and just throw it really in. Worm burner. I was going to throw it along the floor. How good would that be? We can surely get, we can surely get one of the MLB franchises to let you do a worm burner. Surely. it'd be amazing.

1:13:28Rog:Let me worm burn on your pitch, lads. For more US coverage tomorrow, we've got Herc Gomez coming on to break down the Belgian battle ahead. And today we posted Clint Dempsey's preview of the great House of Waffle battle against the Belgians live on our YouTube. At JFK knows nothing said, Clint Dempsey has to replace Balogun. Seems fair, but then Balogun has to do the pod next week. Wouldn't wish that on anybody. Mid-roll promo time. Big news, Atlanta. Oh, my God, this is exciting. Poi just got 10 times bigger. We have moved our tailgate from Tuesday to Monday, right before the U.S.-Belgium game.

1:14:06Rog:We're going to be Founders Green, south downtown, ahead of the clash of clashes. We're going to move the match day live so we can be with the incredible masses of Atlanta humanity before one of the biggest moments in U.S. men's history. Come and be with us. We'll take the stage with Killer Mike. Becky Sauerbrun will be with us. Roar will be there and more as we celebrate our soccer dudes. The show is free. Doors open at five. We'll be on at six. And then the game will be on right after us on a huge screen so we can all watch it together. The link for more information is in the notes below. Roar.

1:14:41Rog, just as you've got a sting, doesn't mean you can get away with not doing your electric guitar. Over it.

1:14:48Rog:Soccer dudes. That's it. You will fear the soccer dudes. I cannot wait for Rory to shout soccer dudes on that stage on Monday. Pick the house down. Oh, come on. I can't wait to hear him. I'm fully on board with the such dudes. Horncastle's going to be the one to scream out. Horncastle. It's such a crowd pleaser. Horncastle will say anything to anyone to make them like him. It's pathetic. It's amazing. He's genuinely, I think, making a run for mayor in 2028. He walked on stage, Betty, the other day, and just literally the first thing he did was, like, stand up and shout, ADL! Like that. It's extraordinary.

1:15:25It's amazing.

1:15:25Rog:In an American accent, it was beautiful. We reached the part of the night where we figure out what everyone suddenly believes by taking a look at Calci percentages to peek into the brains of football fans everywhere. Scan below, sign up and get stuck in on Calci. Tonight, we are comparing the South American giants. We saw Argentina. We've recently seen Brazil. Ever heard of them? Eight world titles between these two bad boys. Both rooted around the 16. and while Argentina arguably has got the easier path going forward, we've been too quick to dismiss Mr. Carlo's boys. And did Cape Verde reveal hidden weaknesses in Argentina tonight?

1:16:04Rog:Let the people know, Roar, who goes further in this tournament? I still think that Argentina's pathway has lower hurdles to clear. Switzerland, sorry, Egypt and then Switzerland or Colombia before a semi-final against England or Brazil. so I think they will make the semi-finals Brazil have to face Norway which is really tough we don't really have a weight class on Norway yet it is possible that Norway can we don't know, it's hard to say because it's Norway, we're not used to that oh my god, can you imagine? it'd be fantastic we'd have to put it without Rowan for a long time though a lot of time and we have established if we encourage the Norwegians at some point they will start burning monasteries that is what they do that you can't trust but only on the north west corner of England in the northeast but we still we need those masteries Rog that's where we keep our treasure that's where you keep the honey and the treasure that's where all of our treasure is and the need I think I think the odds would be that Argentina are likely to go furthest I think the I think the general public who are normally so wrong about so many things are in this case right okay it's time for tomorrow the previews round of 16 time And we all start with Canada, Morocco.

1:17:22Rog:My friend Jesse Marsh, he's been talking a lot recently, told Time magazine, quote, let me make it very clear. I never will coach the U.S. national team. It's a long time. In other words, as a poet laureate, Taylor Swift, once said, we are never, ever getting back together. He called Morocco last time semifinalists on the 33-game unbeaten week like a gory, horrible nightmare. and a team of literally zero weaknesses. Morocco coach Mohamed Awabi, for his part, predicted Canada will be their most challenging game so far, which is an interesting quote. I'm really mistaken on this. Roar, should we expect both teams to be a lot less polite once the whistle blows in Houston tomorrow?

1:18:04Rog:It's going to be a knife fight, isn't it? It is. Canada will be, they don't have Morocco's quality, but they will be really intense, really well-organized. They will go full marsh. I'm going to this one, Rog I'm genuinely excited about it Do you want me to say anything to Jesse? Is there anything you want me to get him? You know what I want him to know I just want him to know that we are all behind him we adore him and to do really wacky sellies if the Canadians score because they really I mean they're just joyous nerdy delights I'll pass that on You got that? I got that? Yeah Later that day in Philadelphia for America's 250th birthday bet.

1:18:48Rog:Paraguay, France. Heat wave will push temperatures over 100 degrees. This is pretty awful. Most of the festivities and the hoopla have been cancelled or moved inside. Real question on the field, if Paraguay and their defensive girth can deal with the pace of Kylian Mbappe, who when asked if he was looking forward to the matchup said, I am looking forward to the changing room air conditioning. Bet, this might be the first game in which the hydration breaks are actually not booed. Yeah, yeah. They are actually going to need the hydration breaks. None of this in an air-conditioned stadium, having a little sip of water and doing all your tactics.

1:19:25They've got to take that fluid on. France are the only team that we have watched at this World Cup and gone, yeah, you're convincing. You look so good. They're the only team, really. Don't you think, Rory? I just can't see anyone tripping France up. I really can't see it. soccer dudes soccer dudes soccer dudes soccer dudes oh god don't rule out the soccer dudes no I agree I think maybe a little bit of Spain the soccer senores a little bit of them but other than that it's quite hard to see France have just got that firepower that if they click I don't think you can stop them because the quality is so high if the Spanish can keep the ball off them maybe that's what I think that semi-final will be on that side of the draw France and Spain and it will be really interesting but yeah the French are just they're fearsome Paraguay will defend with their lives they'll strap and they'll fight and they'll claw but I don't see how they can keep out a team of that quality

1:20:22Rog:they've already declared two national holidays in Paraguay one when they qualify for this World Cup and another when they housed in Germany on penalty kicks I mean fair hundreds of thousands hit the streets to Salve this is so beautiful I just love this so much I too would want a day off to drink all day and celebrate But this is not just football history. This is history, history for Paraguay. Midfielder Mauricio said the players' mentality is that they were ready to, quote, die on the field to win. And the manager, Gustavo Alfaro, added, Europeans were trained in top-level academies. We come from the red clay earth.

1:21:03Rog:God, if they bury tournament fans, I do think they're going to week off work, at least if they win tonight. But it seems like years ago that they lost 4-1 to the USA, doesn't it? That feels like such a long time ago. It was. It was in 1973. It was. It was during the OPEC oil crisis. Yeah, goddammit, that was so exhaustingly awful. I don't know how we got through it. I think I got scurvy. At Gep318 says, soccer dudes is even creepier when it's in AMSR mode. No, soccer dudes. Oh.

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1:22:10Rog:It's time for the food. It's a European mind, cannot comprehend. And today, though we're in Atlanta, look at this. This is amazing. So we could get proper food with Raw, the same thing together. We went to a Texas classic. We're doing Whataburger tonight, Raw. You've got to move the mic up just for Mesopotamia purposes when you eat this stuff. I've got my big fits, Mike, haven't I? It's a classic Whataburger with fries. It's most importantly the creme de la Texas creme. You've got spicy ketchup, which comes in one way, comes out another. Betty, you've got the same bit of chicken sandwich because you are not a meat eater.

1:22:47Rog:So three simple steps. Eat, ponder, score. Let's go. Oh, okay. Has Rory got the same? Yeah. Let me get that. There you are. In the camera. Here we go.

1:23:04Rog:Ooh. Wow. The sound of you two eating is making me feel a bit sick.

1:23:16Rog:We may be miles apart, but we're brought together by burgers and spicy ketchup, which is exactly what the founding fathers intended. Are you ready? Am I going to guess your score? You don't have your whiteboard, but I'm going to guess your scores. Rog, let me see if I can send it to you telepathically. Okay. That just hit me. like a Vizinha save. I think you gave this a, and you're overcompensating. I think this is a 6.1. It's a 6.1, Rod. You're quite right. You're quite right. What did you score it back to? How's the chicken? My board is over there, so I'll just vocally say it to you. I actually think it is actually really, it's better than it looks.

1:23:58Rog:Yeah, that's like my mother when she doesn't like somebody, she calls them interesting. What score are you? Oh, they're interesting. What score are you giving it back? 6.7. There you go. Doesn't dent the leaderboard, Ro. And I think you really thought it was a 5.2, didn't you? You were just being generous. That's not the best burger we've had, and we've had a lot of average burgers. Yeah, this is what the bus is all about. If it's about one thing, theology and average burgers. Ro, it's time for closing with our listeners' letters, where you share your World Cup journeys with us, your memories, your experiences, your human ecstasy.

1:24:37Rog:Tell us the best of your World Cup journeys at menandblazers.gmail.com or slap it into our Discord. Can I just say, Men and Blazers Discord, during the World Cup, it's winning the World Cup. You guys are so funny. You make us all laugh. It's really popping off. Come be there. Savor the games. It's what Twitter used to be, which is joyous, safe, hilarious, and full of very, very good human beings. Sign up for free now. Get stuck in. But Raw, tonight's fan letter comes from at jpartrid62 in the YouTube chat earlier this evening. Please do the honors. Well, I've actually got two, Rog. I'm going to start with them.

1:25:12Rog:So this one starts, there's always a vacuum, and we'll read the other one tomorrow. Okay, fair enough. There's always a vacuum. I think we've overproduced this segment. I was going to read one that I received privately, but I'll do it another day. Oh, well, no, no, no, go for it, Raw. This is from Jay Partridge 62. Someone sent you a compromising pic and you want to talk about it. Let's follow the script. There's always a vacuum when a World Cup ends and the flow of games comes to an abrupt halt. But for this go-around, the lack of the steady flow of MIB telecasts will be the greater loss. A lot of people saying this.

1:25:48I found myself watching a cast, then listening again in the car, which is deeply troubling behaviour. That's me editorialising. However, yesterday, while traversing a windy or possibly windy mountain pass, I was laughing so hard I had to hit pause for safety. MIB World Cup coverage has developed a mythos as the consummately hilarious, entertaining and informative source for all things World Cup. If an MIB cast is airing, Fox is muted. And that's from Jay Partridge. Jay Partridge, we love you. Yeah.

1:26:20Rog:This is my other one. I just thank Jay Partridge. Good news when this World Cup is over in 897 days' time. Must still be here, trapped in this bus like in that superman movie where they got stuck in that you know that one-dimensional yeah i'll always be on the bus for him forevermore to show us your other one raw this is this is from from simon uh in harrigate uh and this is the the other option to get a letter on which is if you know me personally and what's that me something nice i will read it out uh simon is my cousin in law which is not a thing but he's one of my favorite people in the world and he said that he laughed out loud on the train listening to you roger and humphrey and the commentator discussing in the gold store as absent father.

1:27:01The man sat next to me was deeply concerned when I kept laughing. Which I think if we're producing content that makes people feel uneasy on trains, Rog, then we're doing our job.

1:27:11Rog:Our job is done. Yeah. I do remember when you got a very angry letter about the mannequin piss, the letter writer wrote, your job is not to talk about the mannequin piss, your job is to talk about football. And you've actually redefined it, your job is just to piss people off. is that what you said? All of our jobs is to do stuff that makes people laugh on trains to the extent that the person sitting next to them feels weird that's our job to make life feel uncomfortable for others that's what we're here for to Mo Salah laughing at Matty Ryan after doing that change up Penenka tomorrow was a day we spent 250 years trying to wait for a day that deserves that cold pint in a perfect pub with the games on it's the 4th of July what screens 4th of July more than World Cup round the 16.

1:27:59Rog:So plan your day with a bar finder on the Men and Blazers site. It's linked below. It's got an interactive map of the best football bars in the US coming off your thousands of recommendations. Give it a look. Find your pub. Throw on the red, white and blue and have a day, America. I'm going to watch the games in a pub tomorrow in Atlanta. And I can't wait. Maybe we're Betty. Maybe not. We'll see. I think it's happening. It's going to happen. It is happening. I'll follow you. It's what the founding fund, yeah, when you left, we thought, wait, thank God he's gone. We can have fun there. He's so serious about football watching and the purple conditions and now we're free at last.

1:28:36Rog:We're going to go just what the founding fathers dreamt of. In all seriousness, for all of you celebrating 4th of July weekend, we are full of love and life for you. I cannot wait to be with you tomorrow. We end with a moment of pure, unadulterated joy as a lifelong Cape Verde fan of any days. Me, 27 days now, is it? Argentina won the game, but Cape Verde won our hearts. This burger's making me have a little problem speaking. I'm trying to hold it together. I've already got heartburn and it's like not so great. I don't feel very well and I'm not a doctor, but I think I might be in trouble. I thought you were crying about Cape Verde.

1:29:20Rog:No, I'm not. I'm sad about Cape Verde. What a burger brings out your true emotions That's the nice thing I'll say about it You know what I mean? I am struggling What a burger, I am going to also have another bite In a minute, which doesn't make any sense Back to Vazenia Who promised everyone who'd know That Kate Verda after this World Cup They do, they do, here's what it meant Back on our Capellago nation Of half a million Betty, it's amazing to be with you Huge love, Raw, thanks for being with us in Texas Big, big love to all of you or as Vizinha puts it, big heart. Encourage.