Clint Dempsey on USA 1-2 GER and the biggest questions before tournament: The Deuce, Presented By Allstate

27:15Bad things are going to happen. And hey, credit for them for taking that chance. And yeah, we weren't able to do enough to get one back. Yeah, I mean, Pochon emptied his bench 60th minute, 70th minute. Really gave everybody a chance apart from Hadji Wright. I do want to get your sense on the strikers. Balogam worked hard, put himself about. I think the US had zero shots on goal in the second half until the 76th minute. Balogam did not have a shot on target all game. We've seen Pepe link really well with Christian Pulisic and be just mobile and create. Balogam just is trying to put himself around and get that ball.

28:00is trying to put himself around and create opportunities. Hadji must be in agony getting zero minutes in these two games despite all he's achieved getting his team into the Premier League last season. How do you handicap where we are, honestly? Yeah, I mean, the Hadji Wright situation, you don't know if he's had something lingering before coming into camp. And if he's completely healthy, then I would be a little upset if I was him not getting the opportunity. to at least get some time to try to prove myself other than in training. But I'm not in training to see what he's been doing. I still do think Balligan is your best option up top just because of his ability to stretch the field and just be dangerous taking people on.

28:47I think there's a lot of different ways that he can affect the game. Even though he didn't have any shots on goal, I saw some shots that he's whipping across or, you know, trying to go far post and trying to make something out of nothing. I think there's a few times that he was in good positions. He actually could have got the ball fed to him. And we talk about the chemistry between him and Christian maybe lacking a little bit in terms of like the reps that they've had together. And, you know, Pepe, him and Christian really seemed to connect well in that last game versus Senegal. So I think there's still a little bit of debate up for who's going to be chosen in that position.

29:28But if it's me, I still like Balligan. I just think he gives you just a little bit more. I think he can create a little bit more for himself. The only negative is, I would say, is just the chemistry that I'm seeing right now between him and Christian. I'm going to get your full starting 11 in just a moment. I do think Potch is going to pick Balligan. And you can make the case that he will do his thing. Shoot his shoot. Try and make chances. And then unleash Ricardo Pepe on the tired opponent. Godspeed. It's hard to pick out too much in garbage time. Real drop-off in our quality. It's an interesting conversation whether we do have the depth that we think we have.

30:07Germany just continue to try and probe late on. Again, luckily, in the group stage, we're going to be facing a diet of low blocks in the two opening games. We should have more possession. I will be honest, I heard your voice a lot, Clint, in that late second half. Your disappointment, you're always like, something you've taught me, less about the school line, more about players coming on, showing they're hungry, trying to demand playing time, trying to make a statement. That there was a Sebastian Berhalter, Elastico, that actually bobbled out of bounds. Brendan Aronson late drive, but it wasn't really a single player who seemed to say, look at me, I'm going to grab the game by the neck.

30:47I'm going to try things and make myself unignorable. Yeah, I mean, sometimes that happens. And sometimes it's a reality check because you start to realize you're only going to get so many opportunities to come on and kind of change the game. And if you're someone that is really on the outside looking in, these are huge moments for you to kind of come in and really play free, in my opinion, because it's like, what's the worst thing that can happen? You're just going to be back on the bench. Like you have a chance right now you're on the field, like do something, right? Whether it's take a player on, whether it's shoot the ball, whether it's slide someone through, whether it's get stuck in, whether it's chase down a lost challenge.

31:23I mean, it's like you go empty the tank, right? Because it's like the worst thing is having all this energy and being on the bench and not playing and not and wondering, like, when am I going to get the next opportunity? So the way I look at it also is like when I when I when I went over to Europe and I was playing at Fulham, it's like when you get these few chances to get on, you have to make an impact if you want to stick around. otherwise you're going to be forgotten you're going to be sent on loan you're going to be out of the team I mean that's just the reality of the business that we're in and what we do so it's so important that you learn from these times that you go on in the pitch if you don't do it that hey next time I need to do more right because there's there might not be a next time so that's just kind of how I always looked at it all I can all I can stop myself from shouting is come to Everson Clint yeah

32:15It's time for doing it like the deuce. Our segment presented by Allstate, where Clint talks about the player who's stock over these two games, the Senegal win, the loss to Germany. Who's stock's risen the most over these last two games in your eyes? Yeah, I mean, I would say someone who's stock was already high, but it's taken a little bit of a dip, Christian. I mean, just him getting that goal, getting that monkey off his back and not having to deal with the stress of people asking him that question. again and still being hungry and running at people and creating problems and showing his skill and his ability to run past players.

32:54Freeman, I didn't know if he was going to be a for sure starter. I think he's played himself into the team. Just his ability to defend and also how good he can be on the ball at times. I think he's really improved in a short amount of time since his move to La Liga. I think he can also overlap with Des and they can kind of when one guy's tired or one guy wants to get a little bit more forward it allows them for to mix things up there on the right side agreed um and and Anthony Robinson hopefully he he is fit uh but what what a finish he had and that confidence that comes with it and the ability to not only do it like he always does on the defensive end and locking everybody down like what you see on the right side when you watch Man City with Kyle Walker um he has that ability to lock people down but now when you start adding those goals it just it makes you even more of a dynamic player and he's he's added more assists from what we saw at fulham so yeah there's there's definitely a few guys that have uh their stocks gone up clint i'm like yes yes yes those are the three that i've on my list too i mean the basic answer and probably the most important is christian politic um like him believing in himself and knowing that we believe in him is just a different footballer By the way, in a funny way, Chris Richards' stock to risen too.

34:10He's not played. True. But my God, he has never seemed more crucial. No, I mean, sometimes that's the best thing, right? Your absence is what's noticed and makes your stock go up that we need you that much more, right? So Godspeed. I hope that ankle heals up. He's ready for the first game because we'll need him. Is there such a thing as a ligament transplant? I will give Chris Richards all of my ligament. I don't even know if I have a ligament, but I'll give you whatever you need, Chris. Yeah, I mean, it's one of those things that you've got to go through the test and see how your movements around the cone, your lateral movement and different things, tape up your ankle, sometimes just getting a torridol shot.

34:54But look, it doesn't make sense to play him if it's a situation that he could regress and not have him at all. So I don't know how closely everything's going, how he's looking, what kind of movements he's doing in training. But if you can go and you can get your ankle taped up, I don't see him missing a game. But obviously, if he's not able to be effective and he's not able to get stuck in on challenges and he doesn't feel comfortable being on the ball and how he passes out of the back, it's not worth the risk. But hopefully he's feeling good. I think one of the things that's fascinating about this World Cup, because it's so massive, you actually have six games in between the group stage games.

35:35And I do wonder whether they risk him in the first one or whether they give him those extra six days because we're going to need him for the long term, not just for the one-off. By the way, Freeman I thought was so intelligent in key moments. Anthony Robinson, though, rested just 17 starts last season because of injury. He seems more than any US player, so hungry to announce himself. They all know, all these players know they can be the face of this team in this massive moment. One highlight real banger like that can make your name just sportingly in the pantheon across the United States and commercially just a legend forever.

36:09And we do need to acknowledge these games were friendlies. We've always said you shouldn't read too much into international friendlies. But I want to pull this together just with your big picture sense of where we are right now. Number one, what do you see as our strengths, Clint? Our strength is our attack and the ways that we can create chances. Our play, our wide play, whether it's Des, whether it's Anthony Robinson. And then, you know, you've got Christian who seems to do better as he floats more to the left-hand side. His ability to take people line, cut inside. But just the freedom to have him kind of roam around, find the game, his pace, his ability to run past defenders.

36:50defenders. I'd like to see, like we talked about, a little bit more chemistry between him and Bolligan. It's going to be a different situation, like you said, in a low block and how we deal with that and people being able to be set up in front of you and how we find those spaces. But I still think our attack is what gives me hope, is what the most dangerous about our game. And also, even if we were playing against a team that was more attacking and a better team and taking the game to us. I like our ability to counter as well. Amen. I mean, it's very interesting, especially against some of the bigger teams, whether we don't try and enforce ourselves with razzle-dazzle, but do let them on and counter.

37:30But I agree, these players, Ballet, Christian, Anthony, Seginho, Tim Weyer, when he comes on, seems so hungry to hurt opponents in different ways. The positive for me also is our tenacity. We didn't, Will, we do have fight, which is a great quality for this team. We're going to need it. I mean, this World Cup, this is also how I think positively it's going to be, we talked earlier, so hot, so exhausting. So many of these European players are ground down. You know, the Arsenal players played over 60 games. They are shattered before they even got here. This heat man watching England against New Zealand.

38:04They were shocked. They knew mentally it was going to be hot. They are living it and feeling it. For the US and Argentina, playing two games in the group stage indoors in the opening round, it's such a gift, Clint, that intangible. When I think about that, the energy saved, I think, why not us? I think it's a gift from the quality of play that we're going to see, that the fans get to see because of the conditions. Everybody's able to be more of a better version of their self. I think it's better in terms of how it affects your body after those type of games. It's when you're outside and in the elements, it takes a little bit longer to get hydrated and getting back to that baseline that you need to be ready to compete.

38:50But also when you're playing in those conditions, you have to worry about injuries. You have to worry about cramping. You have to worry about the tightness of those muscles and whether or not they can take the wear and tear of that. I mean, even in the friendly and around the 60th minute, you see Anthony Robinson cramping up. So it's one of those things that's like, I hope that's okay. I hope he's able to bounce back for that because we're going to need him. The older that you start getting, maybe, you know, not as many backflips for a celebration because we need you fit, but you got to go out there and express yourself.

39:26Tim Ream don't do backflips. Yeah, he'll do a cartwheel. Oh, my back is pulled it, gone. we've talked enough about I think what we both see as a weakness the back line the goalkeeper I mean we kind of identified that earlier I do I pray for Matt Fries he's not an experienced international keeper in major tournaments he's going to have to have the game of his life I just I feel that one mistake one fumble could really in a self-inflicted way create an agony that we do not need but question from the Men in Blazers discord for Matt Gooner Mike through all we've seen Clint we've just got friendlies to go off.

40:04What weight class do you believe this United States team really is in? Are we heavyweights? Are we cruiserweights? Are we a little dog who thinks he's a big dog? Oh, Hakuna Mike firing him up for Clint Dempsey. Where are we? Where do we wait? I mean, I would say middleweight. I mean, some we're kind of trying to push to get into that heavyweight. I think when you think about heavyweight, that's going to be top 10. It says we're 16th in the world right now. I think we'll get to the round of 16. I think if we get to the quarterfinals, then we start showing that we're a heavyweight. So I think that's kind of where we are.

40:42I think that's a fair grade of us being in 16th and getting to the round of 16. But hopefully I'm wrong. Hopefully they're heavyweights and we go on to the quarters and the semis. I mean, the truth is right now we do not know. And we won't know until we're kind of three games through the group stage. I love this US team. I know you love these boys, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Ricardo Pepe, and there's so much inspiration all over the field when they play. Here's what I can't get away from and I want your insight into, Clint. The United States record against European teams is truly terrible. Nine straight losses against European opponents.

41:25I think Mauricio Pochettino's record in that spell is played five, lost five, four goals scored, 15 goals conceded. We have not beaten a European team since 2015. You were playing. It's like we have an inferiority complex mentally that we just can't shake. I mean, I don't know if it's that. I just think maybe just get more reps, more games against that type of competition and you start to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable. And sometimes all it takes is one win to kind of get you on a streak and on a wave again. and you talk about the defense and the goalkeeping situation, one shutout kind of gets you going and believing, hey, we've figured things out and we can start doing things like this more often.

42:13So I know a lot of people were excited when they saw the group and what we were going to have, but then now we've got Turkey A in it and that's a European side and that's a team that's beat us 2-1 and a friendly. So hopefully that will be where we change our record versus European sides. We are about to find out. World Cup play is our next stop. Really the moment of truth where we can stop talking, start watching, start proving, start living, start understanding. Five days' time next Friday, the United States will run out at SoFi against Paraguay to begin their campaign in Group D, D for destiny.

42:53on the world stage. D for Dest. Here's the news in this weekend. Paraguay will reportedly be without their own star, Julio Enciso. The attacker who was taken off on the stretcher in agony and tears during their last warm-up was actually hard to watch, I feel for him. It's been reported he has a muscle injury, that he will not be playing the local press, say, in that first game. Zero more matches to practice, to experiment. Clint Dempsey, can you give us U.S. men's national team starting 11 you expect to be on the field that day? I mean, looking at what we're seeing in front of us or looking at the tea leaves per se, I think Anthony Robinson, left back, Tim Ream, Chris Richards if he's fit, Freeman, freezing goal, midfield, McKinney, Tyler Adams.

43:45I think that spot next to him is kind of up for grabs like who's going to operate best in tight spaces could be Tillman could be Geo could be Zendejas and then you have Christian and Balligan up top or maybe you see Pepe comes in there because you wait for the game to kind of open up a little bit more and the relationship Pepe has with with Christian maybe they might operate better going against a low block or and then maybe Balligan comes off the bench in the second half but for me I still see Bolligan starting so I know I'm dancing around the answer of what that line-up will be but that's just kind of how I see it as a fan like watching but I still think it's probably going to be Bolligan, Christian up top and then who's going to fight to be in that position alongside Tyler Adams and Weston McKinney and then you're going to have Dest operating on the right.

44:42I have the same, there'll be Matt Friesing goal, Anthony, Tim Ream, Please, God, Chris Richards, you incredible human being. If not Richards, I think it would be Mark McKenzie. Freeman will play on the right. I think it'll be Tillman and Tyler sitting deep. I can't quite work out where Weston's meant to be sitting. He was so all over that field. And he'll play Dest, Weston McKinney and Pulisic with Ballo up top. But ultimately, that's what we think. That's what we believe based on what we've seen from Potts, right? Yeah, I mean, that's what I would guess from watching the last couple of games and what I would have kind of do.

45:22But look, there's still probably some surprises that we don't know of. And I think that's what kind of truly makes a manager great is them making those decisions that no one else is going to expect and whether or not they pay off or not. I mean, it's ultimately we're going to finally get the grade of how we think Pochettino is going to do because this is what we brought him in for is to perform well in this World Cup. So I'm looking forward to watching the decisions he makes and the way in which this team plays. And hopefully, yeah, they set the world alight. This is ultimately true. Poch's legacy will be determined by the next three, four, please God, five games.

46:05Clint Dempsey, three words that sum up this current US roster in your eyes. If you were to use three adjectives, what would you use? I would say fight is what they got. I would say they're dangerous in attack. And I would say tight because we need to get tighter in the back.

46:28Stop letting this leak happen. Oh, my God. What would you say? What are your three words? I'd say hope-filled like I do. I mean, I'd say fighters. I think they really are fighters. I think that's how they've seen. That is their chance. That is the poch ball, Grinter. That is Tyler Adams' ball, that fight. I think he really is the leader of this team. He sets the tempo, I have no doubt. And I also think uncertain. In a good way, the path is most certainly in their own hands now. But money on the line, Clint, how far will the United States get this summer? Money on the line, for sure they get to the round of 32.

47:07I think they get to the round of 16. And then your heart starts to take over a little bit instead of your mind. And you're saying, okay, maybe the quarterfinals, maybe the semifinals, you know what I mean? What you're dreaming and hoping for. But honestly, I think the round of 16 and then it's whether or not getting over that hump that's kind of been our Achilles heel for the last few World Cups. Yeah. We made a hat for this World Cup. We don't talk enough about the 1930s when we got into the semifinal. Let's do it again. I will say to get to a quarterfinal for just the second time in modern history is certainly the goal.

47:49Anything less with this talent and the$6 million we've given to Pochettino, that would be failure, right? It would be failure. I mean, truly failure is not getting out of the room. Don't say those words, Clint Dempsey. That's true failure. You've got to put things into perspective in terms of like how you get out of the group and then the luck of the draw when you get into the round of 32, round of 16. You know how things go. Injuries, yellow cards, teams that you're up against. There's a lot that kind of needs to go for you in a tournament the right way to go on a big run like we see some teams do in March Madness for basketball.

48:35and watching college basketball. But I agree with you. I agree with you that to be a true success is to get past the round of 16, get into the quarters and then go on from there. May Poch be like an Argentinian Rick Pitino and just channel the spirit of Iona State. By the way, which host nation will get the furthest? Ooh, that is a great question. Of course, it's going to be USA. I mean we ain't switching sides it's USA all day every day because because that's what I said come on now come on now because because heart is speaking yeah exactly you played in three World Cups 2006 first game Czech Republic smashed us 3-0 2010 US opened the tournament with that 1-1 win over England in which you scored.

49:352014, you faced Ghana on Nemesis and scored within 29 seconds. You, you, you. So we're seeing a common theme here. Hey, sub me in. Let me play the first game. Because I didn't play in 2006. But every other first game I scored in. So, hey, put me in. I was going to say, what is the secret to World Cup first games? What don't we know as fans that you've learned? Is that it? Just play Clint Dempsey. Man, I just put so much on that opportunity every time that I got it. I know that it's all about starting the tournament off on the right note, getting a goal, and getting that confidence, and making sure you're putting yourself in positions to create chances.

50:17And that's just kind of what I did. And it ended up working out for me. So in 2006, man, they should have started me, man, or should have put me in that game because, you know, Those opening games do well for me. Ricardo Pepe, by the way, we interviewed him this week, still talked about that Garnagal. He talked about what must that have felt like after all that work, all that talk, all that fear, all that excitement to just take the field, score in 29 seconds. I mean, for me, it's a dream come true, right? It's being in the group of death in 2014, being a captain, and having the pressure of you to get out of that group and know that if you fail, not only is it on the coach and on the team, but it's going to be on the captain, right?

51:01So I need to make sure that I set the tone and led by example, and it's something that I'm truly proud of. When I look back and I talk about my legacy, that's one of the things is being able to score in three consecutive World Cups, being able to be the captain of the team that got us out of the group of death, and being someone that in major competitions, I always stepped up for the team. So that's something I kind of hold my hat on and am proud on. But at the same time, if you're going to talk about negative things, it's that 2018 World Cup not qualifying for it. I mean, I wish I didn't have to go through those heart procedures and I could have been with the team from the start, you know, missing those first two games under Jurgen.

51:44always hurt to watch and not being able to be 100 % when I came back. But when I think about the good things, though, it's definitely up there is scoring all those, the three consecutive World Cups. The secret of the first game of a World Cup is just don't lose. You can draw it. I mean, this group is going to feel even looser. I mean, that's the traditional idea, and we will see. I just love that Ricardo Pepe, that mental image of you running off into the Brazilian night. Your arms out there just after scoring in 29 seconds. More of that again, lads. So that's it. Paraguay, Australia, Turkey A, look ahead of us.

52:22How do you think we're going to do in those three? Paraguay, result, Australia result, Turkey A result. Well, first, just to talk, to finish up that last thing that we were talking about is I just feel like in the World Cup formats in the past, it was so important to get something from your first game if you wanted to get out of the group. almost there was a crazy statistic if you lost your first game it was a mountain decline uh but saying that we saw argentina lose the first game against uh saudi arabia and they end up going to win it all but going to the to how i see this is going to play out i feel like every game is going to be tight i feel like we're going to score goals and concede goals but you know i i see like two ones i see one nothing i see maybe a one one uh against turkey a uh i i parrot Paraguay.

53:102-1. I'll read them out. 2-1. 2-1. Australia. I could see another 2-1 or 1-0. A Turkey, eh? I feel like a 1-1. Who tops the group? I don't know. Hopefully, it's us. Hopefully, that does enough to get us up there because we'll be on seven points. Come second, and we could be playing Iran in the round of 32. I actually think we'll beat Paraguay. I think Nciso is a massive loss. Be like us, losing Christian Pulisic, God forbid. I think Australia are going to surprise us. You know, American pundits, I would just say, write Australia off at our peril. They are so hungry for that game. I believe we will draw that match.

53:59Turkey A, possibly, Turkey A beat us. I do see a second in the group and I think it will feel, I think it will feel magnificent, Clint. Feel magnificent? Just to get out of the group? I think we have to have higher standards than that. The my low standards as an Everton fan. I'll thank you. Well, I mean, if I'm being honest, I don't like the scores you just told me, man. I don't want us losing. I don't want us losing to Turkey. I don't want us drawing with Australia. But yeah, anything can happen. And all the games are going to be tied. Right, let's be honest. And I'm looking at my team with rose-colored glasses.

54:39I know that we're going to score goals, but we also are going to concede from what I'm seeing unless we tighten those things up. But yeah, I hope we win the group. To get second is obviously the next best option. And then, like you said, start the journey to the quarters.

55:00I've loved listening to you over the past year and then some. It's been amazing to experience all of our highs, some of our lows. We've liked those a lot less together. But I'll give you the last word, Clint. Address the players, the fans, the United States about all that is to come about this month of madness. Yeah, I mean, look, I'm not someone that's going to be addressing the players. But what I will say is, man, I'm looking forward to it. go out there and inspire our next generations, our youth, to dream and believe they can go do something special and great. Not only the boys, but also the girls and get that dream alive for them to go out and do what y 'all did or even take it to the next level for the fans.

55:48To be a fan is support during the highs and the lows. Go out there, bring the energy and have the teams back. and hopefully the team rewards us for our belief in them, right? So I'm just looking forward to it. I want to see how it plays out. And the most exciting part about it is not knowing what's going to happen. That's like watching a good movie or reading a good book. We just got to go through it together. And maybe we might have a few drinks to celebrate or a few drinks to drown our sorrows. Either way, we're going to have a few drinks. but no I look forward to it once in a lifetime opportunity and it's been a fun ride sharing the build up with you Raj so thank you.

56:32Clintu you're an amazing human being I love what you've just framed I mean this is the moment of hope it's also the moment of belief and we do believe it's also the moment where everything feels possible which is just such an amazing moment to feel I mean all of these teams are coming over 48 it's amazing to watch them sweep across the United States to see Messi, to see Argentina take the field at Texas A &M, to see Spain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. These are incredible days we've all dreamt of together. Let's live them, let's savour them and huge thanks to Allstate for making this episode of The Juice possible.

57:10Clint will be one of the guests throughout the tournament on Night Cup, on Nightly World Cup recap show amongst dozens of special human beings who will be rocking it with us throughout. But Clint, cannot wait to see you out there on television in the world on U.S. games. Enjoy every second, mate. Yes, sir. Appreciate you. Until then, courage.