Mexico thumps South Africa, Korea survives Czechia, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Night Cup 6/11/26

26:04Lays, an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026, is also the official sponsor of all bandwagon fans during this euphoric summer of footballing wonder. And this summer, they're inviting all of us to jump on because come kick-off, hope springs eternal. My cold, dark heart grows three sizes every FIFA World Cup. The ebullient Moroccans, the splime Spanish, you can't help but fall in love again and again. So ask Grand Wife, perhaps you'll won 16th French, Brazilian or Japanese? Adopt a new anthem, borrow a new flag, embrace that bandwagon because when your team goes home, the party doesn't have to.

26:40Grab a bag of leis, gather some friends and cheer for whoever you damn well like. A word from our friends at 1440. The 2022 World Cup final drew 1.5 billion viewers. It's 11 times this year's Super Bowl. To understand how football became the world's game and what drove it, listen to 1440 Explores with Financial Times journalist Simon Kuiper, who will give you the inside scoop into the depths of the tournament. Listen to 1440 Explores wherever you get your podcasts. 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.

27:23These 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. Just head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details. To the football, to more together courage.

27:53In the other game, South Korea 2, Chechia 1 in Guadalajara. Not exactly the most exciting prospect in South Korea. Lost three of the last seven. Been smashed, honestly, by Brazil, by Ivory Coast. Chechia secured their qualification at the last back-to-back penalty shoots in the playoffs. Not the most quality side. I think they lost to the Faroe Islands, which is almost a surreal piece of performance in qualifying. But somehow they're here. It's a hard game to watch in that first half. We wanted the red cars. We wanted the VAR decisions. We didn't get them. Chechia hulking figures. Not very good at football.

28:33South Korea tried. Best chances fell to Sonny. And you said, sadly, watching him. It looks a little bit like he's been broken by Major League Soccer, unfortunately. It's just so hard to score in MLS that he's lost all confidence. You said MLS because of the good defender. You said it to me, MLS has broken him. And my head was just like, what? Miles Lewis Skelly did what? First half, miserable spectacle. Second half, came alive. First misdirection. Chechi captain. Landersov Krejci got his header off a long throw. and you were like, oh, international football reminds me of... Nikolas Jova. He's here.

29:11He's here in spirit. He might not be here in body and soul, but he's here in spirit. A long throw hurled into a box and someone massive running really hard at it to head it home. Arsenal are back. Yeah, this is too early again to jump to conclusions. I do think this is going to be your World Cup of set pieces. But then two Korean goals. The stunning, stunning Hwanginbu Feyenoord player picked up the ball in the area had so much to do defend the goalkeeper who we just jinxed out their socks iced them completely it was like a stunning moment there's like an action movie hero of a goal and he clipped the ball just centimeters past the goalkeeper's hand centimeter past the covering defender the exquisite geometry of it was matched only by the slow motion perfection of the way that ball spin through when you look at one of the replays you can see his face he knows as soon as he's hit it he's laughing he's joyful he's beaming balls takes about seven minutes 32 seconds still to bobble over the line but it was inch perfect slow motion wonder finally some football it was such a good goal the the little turn nipple tingling to take the keeper out of it is is perfect and then the um the finish is both like a little curler and it's a little wedge and it's it's it's counted for two it's a chef's kiss of a finish and he had every right to look slightly smug as he watched it roll in those goals that's another great world cup trope roger is a player who you sort of semi know a name that's vaguely familiar or who you know nothing about at all scoring a wonderful wonderful goal if you think about it's not quite in this goal is not quite in that that company think about say al-awairan the saudi player who ran the length to the field in 1994.

30:58I still know his name. There will be people who know Mbom's name in 25, 30 years time because of that goal. It's a little piece of immortality for him. It is. It's trivial pursuits. What is what it is? You'll have it in pub quizzes for generations. Remember the name. 40 minutes later on, slap to the substitute 2-1. And with three points raw, South Korea are kind of effectively barring a tragedy through to the round of 32, which means there will be a lot of Korean fans being dunked upside down as a huge vats of Guadalajara tequila tonight. Yeah, it should be enough. It should be enough. There will be groups, I think, in which the two weaker teams draw with each other.

31:41And because eight of 12 go through, one win in most cases should send you through. But it is possible, Rog. It's possible. But I'm saying that as someone who wants Scotland to go through. And that's what needs to happen for Scotland's death. And no one wants Scotland to go through more than this man, apart from the whole of Scotland. A quick word on tomorrow. We've got Canada, or as I now know, Jesse Marsh is Canada, facing Bosnia and Herzegovina. Take it from an American. Never play two teams at the same time. 3 p.m. Eastern time. Emotional game for Jesse Marsh. Emotional game for the whole of Canada.

32:16But also for Bosnia. This is what I love. Ontario has a population of over 21 ,000 Bosnian immigrants. when you factor in their children and grandchildren, there can't be as many as 30 ,000 Bosnians at this opener cheering their boys on. That is the magnificence of this tournament, but also North America. And is there not a massive Bosnian population in Minnesota, which, as I understand it, Roger, is quite close to Canada? So there will be, this is what I mean, there will be games where, even if huge numbers of fans haven't travelled from that country, because it's expensive or because it's difficult, you will find that they have plenty of support in those stadiums because there are all of these diaspora populations.

32:57Just wait till Egypt take the field and then you will see diasporas uniting joyfully. I can't wait to watch that. We've also got, let's talk about it, the clash of clashes that we've all waited for. The United States playing South America mid-major. Paraguay tomorrow, 9 p.m. Eastern time. I did love seeing our boys bonding, watching the Knicks last night, losing their mind. Tyler Adams. Thank God he's not injury-prone. Just leaping. Look at him. Leaping over the couch here in a pair of slides. Yep. Out for three games, but it was worth it because Knicks in five. But they can't all be Knicks fans.

33:35Well, there's a ton of New York boys. New York is, it's what Catalonia is to the Spanish or South London to the English. We've got so many lads who come from there. The ones sitting down were all the Texans, God love. But tomorrow is a big day because finally, After a steady stream of just friendly, friendly, friendly, friendly, which is so hard to make any kind of real judgments on, we'll find out what weight class are we in. Are we heavyweight as we are in our dreams? Are we cruiserweight? Are we a little dog that thinks it's a big dog? Nice news, Chris Richards is fit to play. We'll find out how fit he actually is.

34:12We'll see how deep Western McKinney sits. Does he play alongside Tyler? Does he stay forward? We've got to face Australia and then Turkey A. Paraguay are the three, probably the kindest first game, stripped to their creator and CISO, but they are robust. They are pragmatic. They do play effective, collective, missionary position football rule. Yeah, they've got a really good coach, an Argentinian guy called Gustavo Alfaro, who's incredibly experienced. He's been in charge of various South American nations before. He's got them organized. They were in a terrible state before he took over, and he came in and he sorted them out, which is what you want from your manager.

34:50They've got a little bit of class. Omar Alderete, the Sunderland defender, who was, I think, the season before he joined Sunderland, he was in La Liga's team of the season. He has plenty of quality. Diego Gomez of Brighton, the man who scored four goals in one game this season, is the threat. Now I'm not going to sleep tonight. Go on. Miguel Almiron, obviously, American fans will know plenty about him. I think there are two reasons for the US to hope. One is, I'm not sure Paraguay have got a huge amount of goals in them. They don't look like a side that has any real cutting edge to me. They have fleeting chances, and it's about whether they take them.

35:25Chances, plural, is maybe being kind. There is a chance that Diego Gomez puts one in from 25 yards. That's maybe the main danger. The other thing is the defence is quite old, Rog. The defence is a combined age of 199. That's Tim Ream age. Yeah, they are people who would regard Tim Ream as a young man. Really? I think that's fair to say. If it's 199, it's him as a peer. No, I think they're all, apart from Alderete 29, the rest are 33, 34. Whereas Tim Ream is very much the elder statesman in that US defence. Paraguay are experienced, that's good, but they're not quick. When does experience become onk is what we're trying to work out on this show.

36:03Two massive factors for me. This team have been in the shadows in this World Cup cycle, played in. Stadia, which when they're full, full of opposing fans, largely small crowds. Tomorrow, SoFi is going to be mobbed. Nearly full. And the support they feel suddenly, it can energize the team or it can pile on the pressure, give them, I talked about performance anxiety earlier. The other element, Roar, is Pochettino has made this American team and you saw it against Germany even defeated. He's made this American team. Fighters, Grinter, you know, it's about getting in there, getting into the face of the...

36:39Paraguay would love that. That's their terrain, man. They'd love those dark arts. I think, honestly, if they see a little flicker, they're going to turn it into a flame because Paraguay, if we lose our self-control tomorrow, can drag us into a world of hurt and really throw us off our game. Yeah, you don't ever really want to get into a kind of a tooth and claw strap with any South American nation, which I know it sounds like I'm stereotyping, but I think in a football context, it's absolutely true that if you meet them on those terms, they are happy. They are good at it. They're experienced. A lot of them have played their club football in Argentina and Brazil, where you really have to fight.

37:16Maurizio, the defensive midfielder, will be perfectly happy with that. The American task is to keep their cool. It's to function under the pressure they will be under. To an extent, like Mexico did today, admittedly against the better team, the US, I think Paraguay will not be quite as much of a walkover as South Africa. Not as many Sundowns players in the Paraguay team. No, maybe there were too many Sundowns players. The test for the US, the US had got loads of really good technical footballers. You know, there's no reason to be afraid of saying that. That in Ballard and in Pulisic, in McKennie to an extent, but certainly in Tyler, Aronson, if he plays, I don't know if he will.

37:53Gio Reyna, if he plays, again, I don't know if he will. There is plenty of kind of technical creative ability there that the US can lean on. They don't need to meet Paraguay in a scrap. They need to try and play Paraguay off the pitch. That is a more likely route to football. Well, I'll say, it is so exciting to sit here tonight, the night before it all begins, knowing that we are going to be seeing another American Men's World Cup journey. It's hope-filled right now. We fans who watched so many of these dream big dreams, they do end far too soon, being candid. We want that to change. We're thinking now about the Ghana exits, the Wando misses, the Torsten Fringsham balls, the valiant Tim Howard save game.

38:37My God, it is crucial tomorrow for me that we make some noise. This is what I hope for this team, that we throw down a marker, that we make America the wider America, that I've not seen this team before, America. Who are these players, America? That we grab them, give them a moment, that we'll launch a million TikToks and have... This World Cup is going to be massive, with or without the United States in it. I just pray that this team can weave their narrative into the history of this tournament in the most beautiful and profound way. Well, if you look at the way that the Knicks have become a story, Rod, the fact that I know that they're 53 years without a championship, but the Knicks fever has kind of taken over the US.

39:19We're even seeing it a little bit back in Britain, my social feeds, which are still British coded. There is interest in the Knicks. That doesn't normally happen in the NBA finals. And part of that is because of the reaction that you see when the final basket goes in. if the US take the lead tomorrow if there is a dramatic goal if there is a a moment where it feels like it's all coming together for the US you get that reaction and it's hard not even if you're not really a football fan it's hard not to watch that and think this is a cool thing to be part of and obviously as a terrible snob Rog I disapprove of that because everybody should be a fan already you should like football it's a moral good but you have to start somewhere and That's the way that you convert people.

40:01I've got to say the joy on the streets of New York. I'm not a Knicks fan. I'm a Bulls fan. My kids are all Knicks fans. Watching that city come alive in this moment, it is the human good stuff. Ultimately, I think everyone's relating to it because they have suffered for so long. They failed for so long. Not like Arsenal Football Club. It's funny here. Like in England, everyone is desperate for Arsenal to know their place. But here there is like a thrill, a giddy thrill of, oh my Lord, watch this. It's utterly, utterly effervescent. I can't relate to that. I think it's magnificent. God love English people.

40:36They love your failure more than their own success. But let's talk some more about US soccer and dreaming. Are you ready for our first interview of World Cup 2026? Told you we were having Mayor Zoran on and you said? I didn't know he liked football. He keeps it very quiet. Yeah, he's very modest. He doesn't mention it. Doesn't mention. Who does he support? I have no idea. You know what? Spoiler alert. He'll tell us in just one minute. Here he is. Talking about this big World Cup moment. My guest today may well be America's foremost football fan. You may know him as an Arsenal diehard. You probably know him even more as a defender on the feared Bronx High School of Science back line.

41:16But there's no finer guest on the first day of the World Cup than the mayor of the city, where the final will be in 39 days' time. It's incredible to welcome Tamir Zoramamdani. Thank you so much, Raj. It's great to be here. Oh, man, we are on the cusp of a 39-day journey. You've been on this many times before, 2002. Yes. You watched Senegal play France. It blew your mind. Yes. So those who this is going to be the first time watching a World Cup, dwarfs the Super Bowl. Can you put into perspective what makes this so massive? It's like a global eclipse. I think you said it best. It's the fact that the entire world is focused on one thing.

41:53And there's a beautiful feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself. And I think we're talking about the first time in history that we're going to have 48 teams competing. And there's so many of those teams that it's the first time they're ever competing in the World Cup. Yeah, I mean, this thing is beautiful. Gives memories to millions around the world. Some of my most profound, Maradona, Baggio, Clint, Dempsey. And part of it is that when two teams take the field in a World Cup, the nation's histories, the nation's politics, the nation's cultures take the field alongside them. Is that what makes it so searing in your brain?

42:26I think it's that. And it also feels that there's a greater level of possibility of anything happening than compared to the world of club football, where it feels a little bit more, there's a little bit greater sense of prediction. That's an old small fan speaking. The XG is more related to the outcomes in club football, I would argue. But I think, you know, one of the things I loved most about the World Cup as a kid was that you discovered new players. You discovered new teams. I still remember 2002, that Senegalese team, right? El-Haji Juuf. Papa Bubar Job, Aliou Sise, these were players that I didn't know going in.

43:00And then after that run, they then became parts of teams that we all knew the names of. If you look at the Turkish team in 2002, right, Ilhan Manzis, I mean, Rekber Rushtu, you know, you remember these players and it's just a lovely thing to discover something again. And I think that's what the World Cup provides us with, even in such a global age as the one we live in. I can't name the starting 11 of Curaçao, but I can't wait to watch them play. And you know that within seconds of an ecstatic Transcender movement, there's going to be kids all over the planet shouting out their name, I am Papa.

43:32You know, I am a shalabalaba, trying to recreate that goal with a wonder. What a goal that was. Oh, man, it's serious. I know, shalabalala. What a goal for Africa. Goal for all of Africa. God, that is the good stuff. But we are living in a chaotic world. Jurgen Klopp, the quasi-religious Liverpool manager, I like to repeat the football truth, that football is the most important, least important thing. John Oliver comes on our show a lot last time. He said, strangely, the more challenged the world's become, the more important football's become to him. What is it for you? Is it a distraction that we should be careful of, or is it just a relief, a release, a sense of unity?

44:10I think it's so much more than a distraction. I think it's an expression. And I think that in many ways, it's a language that we can communicate with other people. So often you see when you speak to someone, you know it's their second language, their third language, it's as if you're speaking to a shadow of them. But when you're speaking to them about football or you're playing football, it's as if you get a sense of who they are. And even the videos of South Korean fans landing in Mexico, it's the magic of the cup. That's what you want this to be. Upside down in a bucket of tequila. I mean, this is like, by the way, when you talk about that, part of the joy of this next 39 days is America falling in love with global football.

44:49But the flip side is also true. It's about global football fans falling in love with America. I found it incredibly moving watching German fans go to Waffle House for the first time, having their minds blown. There was that video from Lawrence, Kansas. Yes, the Algerian fans. Now Algerian fans welcoming with real emotion the Algerian fans into their hearts. Can you talk about the beauty of what you hope the world will see of the United States, these 11 who cities in these 39 days? I think the beauty of this country lies in the beauty of the people who call this country home. And this is a game and a World Cup and a tournament where we have an opportunity for people to meet each other as they are, not as they perceive each other.

45:30And if you're talking about Kansas, or if you're talking about here in New York City, we can't wait to have so many visitors from across the world. And also, it's an opportunity for those who already live here to rediscover their own city because i remember you know as a new yorker growing up here one of my favorite joys was to watch the game in a cafe or a restaurant of the team and that's the chance as well for new yorkers this time around we can't wait to help make that happen the european mind cannot comprehend dirty water hot dogs probably not wait till these football fans meet pizza rat i mean that is gonna blow their mind it's gonna be new york city baby um and what about new york it is the greatest footballing city in the world in terms of the cultures that are here, the fan bases that are here, the stew joints all over the five boroughs that you can watch your game in and feel like you are transported in time to the host country.

46:21We will have eight games here. It's a profound moment. This is a beautiful tapestry, 150 nationalities, 200 languages spoke here. The football fans are about to descend here. Mayor, if you are to tell them three places they have to go to eat to get a true taste of the city. Wow. Go for it. Okay, well, one, I'll cheat a little bit and I'll say we have a 26 for 26 deal where you can get food drink for$26 and more than 488 restaurants across New York City always be selling you got to go to one of those places the second is you got to use some public transit while you're here so whether you want to take the train get on the bus ride a bike take a ferry whether it's a New York City ferry the Staten Island ferry we have some New York City ferries that are branded with the World Cup I would recommend that's another thing to do you think still two more to go though you think come on Next one, check out Coney Island.

47:10And eat. You know, and eat. And enjoy. And take the Cyclone. Come on, I'm a hard-hitting political reporter. What I would say you should have is one of those definitely unlicensed Coney on the Cobbs right outside of a Cyclone. It's incredible. It is. You'll never want to go home. Third and final one. Third and final one of what you got to eat. Yeah. Try some biryani at Kebab King in Jackson Heights. Live a little. Go to Diversity Plaza. Cool. Have some pan. Have an allergic reaction. Enjoy yourself. That's what life's about. Live on the edge. There are a lot of doctors around. Live on the edge.

47:46Sufi's Choice. Which Arsenal player are you most looking forward to seeing in action at this World Cup? I think it has to be Bukayo. Although, now that I'm reading about what Tukul just said about Bukayo, maybe we want Bukayo to be resting. But I love watching Bukayo play. What does it make you feel inside? He feels like the bridge between the past and the present. He feels like a man that survived the banter era and has helped to bring us into this moment where we are the champions of England. He's brought silence and wonder. We'll say Eberichie as a scoring that winner in the final will be the redemption story that I think the world needs right now.

48:19You are someone who positions themselves about radical change. If I gave you the power to change one rule about football forever, what would it be? Wow. Look, his mind, genuinely. This is like in the beautiful mind, that mind is now popping. To go back in time and to rescind the card given to Robin Van Persie for having played past the whistle. Bless. Just to right it wrong. You've gone on the record saying you hate Voh. I did. Yes, but...

48:50Go on, number 19, baby. Nick commits a foul on the goalkeeper. Final decision, direct free kick. When I say those words to you... I've always loved Voh. I don't know what you're talking about. Does that now sound like poetry on the levels of Langston Hughes? I feel like that could be on my tombstone. Amen. man. God bless. Hopefully not for a long time. Final is in New York City. You know from a past interview, you picked Morocco to beat France. I did. I went with the heart. You had the US losing to England in the quarterfinals. England losing to France in the semis. You said that when you chose Morocco, I went with the heart.

49:22If that's who you want to win, who do you think will win? What does the brain say, where? What does the XG say? I mean, the French are the favorites i would say but the team is just too it's like christopher nolan's the odyssey cast isn't it yeah it's just absolutely stacked i don't know maybe part of it is that i'm watching my documentary about dominic in 2010 i don't know if you've seen that yet on netflix we all love astrology that's how we make some of our best decisions i know you cheer for many teams talk about the power and allure of the african teams if you're invited to address the united states team in that locker room before they take the field for that first game against Paraguay tomorrow, what would you say to inspire them?

50:04I would tell them that this is a moment where the hearts of our country are open to this game, to this team. And I know that soccer has long been one of the games most played across our country, but not one of the games most watched. And here is the potential to be the generation that actually delivers us a new place in the world of global football. And I think this is exactly the team to do so. And luckily, they're going to hear a much better speech from Pochettino. Oh, God willing. How do you think they're going to do it? I think the quarterfinals would be a good place to go. I've been thinking their best hope, and you could fix this, because you know him.

50:40Invite Spike Lee to sit center court, sit midfield, front row on that thing. Everything that man touches, Arsenal Knicks, why not the US? He definitely has a golden thumb right now. Make it happen, Mayor. Last question for you. This thing is enormous. 48 teams, 39 days, three nations, 104 games. What is your greatest hope, the loftiest hope? What's your wish for the world at the end of this? What's your message to the world as it comes to America? My wish is for the world and for Americans to see ourselves and our country as we could be and not as we are today. And there are glimmers and glimpses of that because amidst so much of the division, so much of the repression, there is still a country that is so excited for this moment and so excited to be one part of what is a global game and to welcome others from across the world to welcome those who live in the same cities into our homes into our cities into our restaurants it is a fulfillment of what so many of us want this country to be go go usa thank you man how many games are you going to i think right now a couple i'm still trying to nail it down eight no it's not gonna be eight make great memories Thank you.

51:55The soccer mayor. I genuinely didn't think Red Bear Rushdie would get mentioned at this World Cup, but I'm glad he has been. Oh, tick that box. That man ran on the platform of a goal on every basketball court and school holidays whenever Arsenal played Tuesday, Wednesday in the Champions League. Yeah, he is. You can tell he is a genuinely passionate fan. AJ Piano in the chat which we've now got going says the world was not prepared for a gigantic FIFA nerd to become a recognisable politician I really like Mamdani he is living proof that guys really like just sitting around naming footballers what else is there to do in life man we'll be talking about Beto for generations

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53:22but it's now time we use calcium markets to tell the story of this tournament as it unfolds day to day minute to minute um one day we may talk about how far will an african team make it in this tournament who'll win the golden boot ilion die whose summer will end earlier than expected oh all of ours rory as we sit here today on this first day of the tournament let's go i mean it's an ultra marathon we're about to head into we're all going to get runners nipple people so it makes sense to start with a big one. The winner of the whole enchilada, the champion. We know the favorites. France and Spain deserve favorites.

53:58They are sitting, I think, 18 % and 16 % chance of winning, respectively. No one argues about their credentials. If we were to expand our horizons, let's say beyond the Pyrenees, what does the Rory Smith head and heart, to use the mayor's perspective, say from the full slate of contenders? you're Argentinas, you're England's you're United States a boy can dream. I mean maybe not that one are we on that list? We're not on that list No, they've not really appeared there have they? I've had a suspicion what some people, you know medically qualified people might consider a sinking feeling that this might be England's year it's the 250th birthday of the United States, it would inherently be very funny to hear God Save the King being played

54:47i just think like genuinely 250 there's gonna be so many fireworks just across the nation but there will be dwarfed by the number of fireworks fired out of english fans orifices it's gonna be magnificent there's so many orifices to fill right i know so little time why do we watch football for the fireworking orifices inland have got a really really good manager thomas tootle i think is the perfect tournament manager the squad is a bit weird at first glance but it makes sense but his idea of football yeah it makes sense for what he wants to do you can explain like there's an inner logic to each of his selections i think i think it could be england but i know that much cleverer people than me have got their eye on the dutch yeah There's this one German economist who's got the last three World Cup winners right with his algorithm.

55:40And he said it's going to be the Dutch. At the end of the day, no one will be talking about him, I believe, in the 2030 World Cup. I tell you, I think it's going to win this tournament. I think it's going to be David Beckham. Man is everywhere. Four out of every five commercials to David. I mean, always has more time now in the tournament than when he was a player. For me, I see Portugal there, 10.7%. And I'll look at what could be. Finest midfield, I think, in the entire tournament. Bruno, Betinha, Neves, Bernardo Silva, inherently capable of making Ronaldo's dream come true, which is to win the tournament in his sixth appearance.

56:25if only they can move him to his most effective position, which is interim coach. That's how they won the Euros. Then they can make him, you know, go off into Valhalla, a winning gent. I think if they played Ronaldo up front, they'd have a chance. I think the problem at the moment is they're using that wonky statue of him that was outside the museum in Madeira. I think that's a poor selection decision from Roberto Martinez. Portugal have got so much depth. You kind of look at it and think, all Ronaldo really needs to do, and I say this with great respect for someone who has been one of the best players of his generation, is just kind of get out of the way and they are a genuine threat.

57:04And let these kids who grew up idolizing him deliver the one thing he wants, which is to be able to lift the trophy at the end of the day. Just watch the thing like the rest of us now. Quick one rule before we wrap this up. Let me ask you this. If you were to define the five traits as the first day, I feel like we're about 27 days here and I've got to be candid. But if you were to define the five traits that determine if a team is going to win this World Cup in 39 days time? What would you say? I've got a list. So I think the first thing you need is depth. Depth of squad, spread of talent. Yeah, you need, you need, you can't just have a good 11, you need much more than that.

57:40I also think you need a breadth of squad. So you need to have the talent distributed across the different areas of the pitch. You will always, in international football, you'll always have one or two slightly weaker areas. You might not have a left back, you might not have a right winner, but you need to have a good solid part of your defence creative part of your midfield cutting edge in attack as we saw today with both Mexico and South Korea I think in this one because of the scale of the tournament and also the season we've just had you need a squad that's not completely shattered freshness that's why I think that's what I think we're counting against Spain I think the Spanish look tired because they've played so much football miles on the legs I do think this is a ton of words the MVP ultimately may be the conditioning coach I think the other thing that is not necessarily factored in as much as it should be is we're not looking for the best team.

58:28We're not looking for the team with the highest ceiling, Rog. That's maybe the better way of putting it. We're looking for the team with the highest floor. You need a sustainable style of play. You can't, it doesn't matter if you'd be brilliant in moments, doesn't matter. You need to be able to grind it out over the course of 409 games, which is how many you will have to play to win this World Cup. Just this week. Just this week, that's it. Yeah, tactics that suit the reality of the tournament, the heat, the travel. oh, this is going to be, I believe, the tournament of muscle, meatball, set piece and the kind of practical, pragmatic football we saw, say, victorious in the Premier League.

59:00But then the final thing is the bit that we don't really like to admit, which is, you could call it luck, I think it's more to do with context. So it's, in this tournament, it's where you're playing. The route. If you're playing in really... The route, the pathway, the odyssey. Yeah, it's the pathway. It's the odyssey. It's Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. As a classicist, I'm intrigued to see that. the i won't like it i'm sure of that the i quite like troy how can you like a movie when we got to watch mexico and south africa played out live that was how can anything compete to that melodrama but go on that was more like the odyssey the you need to be playing in nice cool air-conditioned stadiums and to be perfectly honest you need to be slightly fortunate in terms of where the draw takes you in terms of opponents so if you think about the dutch you do have this support of the of the Austrian or German economist, one of the economists, they might get Morocco, I think in the last 32, the new knockout round.

59:56That's not what you want. That doesn't help you win the World Cup. Yeah, but also the route, man. If you're playing, let's say, two games in the opening stages, indoors, the United States, Argentina. If you're playing with very little travel, the United States, Los Angeles, Seattle, Los Angeles, this all factors in. I do think the final thing for me, because I think luck is, is it really, really you speak to anyone that's won the world cup they always say luck is an absolute factor culture is so important you know the germans have that beautiful word turning a man shaft the team that finds its way to become a true winner in the tournament for that these men are living together so crazy 26 men living together for seven weeks ultimately um longer i mean it is like love island without the love interest in there it is it is slightly insane camp harmony is is everything it's so hard to get that equation right it's very difficult to win the world cup rog if you are sitting on a bus and refuse to get off that is my that's my insight into and here we are but anyway talking about camp harmony the thing i love there's a lot of a lot of people laughed at algeria for we talked about them in can lawrence kansas they're staying in a double tree.

1:01:09They only have half the double tree. The rest of the double tree, anybody can stay in. And everyone's like, why are they staying there? That's not exclusive. That's not elite football. And they ended up asking like the general manager of the team, why are you in this double tree? He's like, we wanted two things for the boys. We wanted to have a swimming pool. Yeah. And we wanted a hotel that we could smoke cigarettes in. That's what you need. That is the true pleasure of life. Welcome to America. We're going to close with one of your letters in a minute, But first, we're all a moment I've been waiting for all bloody night long.

1:01:41One of the great joys of this World Cup. We talked about it earlier. Watching the world fall in love with a singular cuisine of the United States of America. I'm talking about the good stuff. You want to know America? Pull up at a Crystal Burger. Oh, somewhere in Tennessee at 3 a.m. I mean, go and get your lemon pepper wet. My God, some of the greatest nights of my life in Atlanta. Four o 'clock in the morning. lemon pepperware and a couple of scotches so so happy but as we move across the united states we're going to eat our way in a segment we're calling the european mind cannot comprehend basically me and raw eating delicacies from coast to coast tonight we're going to start with a banger i don't know how we're getting it but i believe southern california um could only deliver us one a cuisine raw are you familiar with the work of in and out not from home rog but but in the car taking me from LAX to our hotel last night.

1:02:40Let's go. The driver recommended, said, I've got a recommendation for you. And it was In-N-Out. And I was expecting him to sort of say, you know, there's a really nice kind of neighborhood place, something that I would never possibly have known about. But he said, you have to have an In-N-Out burger. And then his second recommendation was Chick-fil-A. So I know roughly what to expect. Well, this is it, you get this in your big gob. This is the double-double from In-N-Out burger. with fries. It is, if you want to know, it is animal style. What does animal style mean? Well, in England, it just means a burger with more animal in it, I think.

1:03:14But here in the United States, it means the patty seared in mustard before it's grilled. The raw onions are caramelized. I don't mind if I do extra spread. I think it's a thousand island dressing. They bang on this. Roar, tell us how it is, baby. I don't think an animal made this, Rog. Oh my God. I mean, I think in a sense, an animal did make it, but I don't think it cooked it. That's really nice. This is one of the greatest chain burgers you can eat anywhere in the world. I've had some good days. I've had some bad days. But I've got to tell you, this tastes of American glory. Tomorrow, over Paraguay, I think when Poch pulled up that laptop on the sideline, he was actually telling the lads about the new Gorilla-style menu that just launched his past May.

1:04:00But to close, we're all going to finish this in one second. And thank you. Thank you. Thank you. In and out, Burger. Not a sponsor, but a slighter manner from heaven. As this tournament blooms across this great nation, I want to invite you, dear listeners, to talk about your dreams, your World Cup plans, what you're thinking. We want to hear from you. Give us the best at the World Cup as you're planning everything. Tell us what's in your heart, what you're doing that's special. Drop it into our Discord, MeninBlazers Discord. Send us an email, meninblazers at gmail.com, or just send it via social.

1:04:32Let's make memories together. Raw, today as the Cup of Cups begins, we hear from GFOP Alex Price. Do the honest, baby, while I tuck some more into this bad boy. You have a pint to eat. The Price fam is about to impart on an epic World Cup road trip. A little background on me. This is from Alex, not me. I'm a M-I-B. I'm an M-I-B. That was harder to say than it was to write. And soccer super fan. My first sporting event was the World Cup 94 quarterfinals match at RFK Stadium, which pitted Spain against Switzerland. I can't remember the results of that. Anyway, it was an unbelievable experience and has stuck with me ever since.

1:05:10Eight years ago, when they announced that the World Cup was coming back to America, I began planning to ensure my two kids would have an experience mirroring the passion I saw at RFK. Bless. I told everyone I knew that I was going to rent an RV and take my family of four on an incredible road trip to hit as many games as we could. It's like you and me, baby. Exactly. Do you think his is orange? What? It's probably bigger than this. There was a lot of advanced planning, booking hotel rooms exactly a year out from the game dates, figuring out how to drive through epic locations between games, etc.

1:05:38The goal is to follow the USMNT until they're out. We have big plans for the RV with USMNT fat heads, don't know what that is, to stick on the outside. Is that a type of person? I think it's a real life person that he's just jammed in there. Fat heads like one of those silhouettes of a player. I'm sure he's got like a beautiful Seginio desk, huge sticker on the side of the RV. It's very aesthetically pleasing. I think fathead is an Australian insult. Don't say that's what they're called to the Australians in Seattle. Go on, just in case. And we actually fear the Australia. We piss them off without knowing it, but go on.

1:06:12We have big plans for the RV with USMNT fatheads to stick on the outside, an electronic broadcast setup that rivals a sports bar, and lots of USA gear to hand out to the boats we meet along the way. America. All the Algerian fans that they meet along the way. Just endlessly smoking cigarettes. That's the players. We're looking forward to seeing live in Seattle and hopefully in Los Angeles as well. Oh, mate. I'm so incredibly excited that we're finally getting to the World Cup and I can pass on the memories I had as a kid to the next generation. Oh, Alex, come and be with us tomorrow on Santa Monica Pier.

1:06:42Come and say hello to us. We're going to watch the game with the fans after our match day live right there on the pier. Come and be with us. Come and let us, I'd say, meet your kids, probably traumatize your kids. But that letter's right up my alley there. It is what football is about, the cross-generational memory making. And it's what the World Cup's about, Rog, because there is a kind of pilgrimage quality to the World Cup. If you think about all the people who have come from abroad, all the people who are moving around the US to go to games, you've seen flights are full of US fans coming to LA to watch the game tomorrow.

1:07:17It moves people. Not many things in this world move people. In an honest-to-God way, man, in a deep, profound... I mean, I wrote a book about it, We Are the World Cup, about how deep my memories are. The fact that you're going to make them with your kids' moves. Maybe we are watching magic coalesce that we really need in this day and age. A reflection that was beautifully, and I'm going to use his words to close, I think captured by Pope Leo. He wrote, the World Cup begins tomorrow. Many will watch the matches. Soccer reminds us of something we must not forget. Life is not a race to show off on our own, but a path we learn to walk together.

1:07:56Anyone who doesn't know how to pass the ball, even if they have talent, has not yet understood the game. Anyone who doesn't know how to live with and for others has not yet understood life. It is weird he is subtweeting Kylian Mbappe. It's amazing. By the way, I bet no one laughs at Pope Leo when he uses the word soccer. He's probably the one American that no one's like, you said soccer. Oh yeah, in the Vatican, they're not. the cardinals aren't because God bless you Leo best Leo since yeah yeah yeah the goat one send us your letters about the World Cup plans and dreams send them to us here meninblazers at gmail.com we'll read one out every night or slap them into our discord that is it do not forget to tune in tomorrow for another edition by the way morning cup date from this very studio our new daily preview where the amazing Betty Glover, what a talent, will break down all of the sizzling storylines, the viral moments, the spigot of morning news to set you up for the day tomorrow, breaking down the first US men's national team of what we hope will be.

1:09:09Well, how many is it? Eight. Oh, and we're going to win them all. All of it happens in around 20 minutes. It is a really beautiful lesson. Get up to speed with Betty right here on our YouTube. We'll be back tomorrow night on YouTube with the great Kyle Beckerman as our guest. We also have coach Jim Harbaugh coming on to, please God pump up the boys. But we'll first be on 4pm live from Santa Monica Pier with a breakdown starring Rob Mack, Wrexham King. Until then, we all remember when the bus is rocking, don't come a-podding, isn't that what the kids say? Something close to that, Rod, yeah. Oh, you're a beautiful human being.

1:09:48No sleep until MetLife. We're going all the way to the final. Big love. Courage.