Reacting to the 4-1 USMNT Victory vs Paraguay, Brazil vs Morocco Predictions, & England'Got Robbed? | Morning Cupdate, Presented by The Home Depot

0:00It's Rog, here to sing my praise for a very special New Balance football boot, the 442. It's no-nonsense, workhorse midfielders and defenders, the ones who do the dirty work, but also ping a pass to perfection. It's a classic boot design with modern enhancements, with an ultra-lightweight sole, synthetic microfibre material, retains a soft premium in-hand feel, allowing for the lighter weight, the superior touch on the ball. Get a pair for yourself or the footballer in your family at newbalance.com slash soccer. For nearly two decades, almost as long as Tim Ream has been in the US men's national team, Allstate has backed the growth of this game in every corner of this great footballing nation.

0:39From grassroots pitches to the biggest stages, they've been here, believing in it, protecting its future, because supporting soccer, it's not just about match days. And that's why Allstate offers affordable coverage at personalised rates, so you can spend less time worrying and more time watching. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. Visit allstate.com or call a local agent today. Allstate, you're in good hands. Potential savings vary subject to terms and availability. Allstate North America Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. We are delighted to bring you the Men in Blazers City Guides presented by Visa.

1:19A joyously assembled guide to the best places to eat, drink and explore and watch the beautiful game across the country. It's a guide aimed at helping fans experience the city as a local. It's built by you, our listeners, recommending some of the best small businesses in your communities, like the finest Viet Cajun in Houston. Yes. The best burrito in San Francisco. Yes. Where to savour lemon pepper wet in Atlanta. Yes, yes, yes. A massive shout out to our sponsor, Visa, who's made this guide possible. Visa gives local business owners the tools and support to be ready for moments exactly like this one, welcoming you to enjoy the games this summer.

2:01Start planning your journey at meninblazers.com backslash cityguides. Hello and welcome to Morning Carp Date, coming to you from LA after an unbelievable night for the USMNT. Their best performance in years, I think so. The vibe's here, they're high.

2:28Don't worry, guys. I escaped the pier and I made it back alive. I am here in one piece. Hello and welcome to Morning Cup Day, built by the Home Depot. Join the Home Depot to welcome the World Cup to your backyards and get fast free delivery on everything you need to get match day ready, subject to availability. There really is just one place to start this morning, isn't there? The US men's national team, oh, they're looking good. USA! USA! They were absolutely cooking. A 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles got their tournament off to an absolute flyer. The first time they've scored four goals in a World Cup match.

3:05Their biggest win since 1930 as well. Not half bad. As you can expect, Rog on the nightclub played it very chill. I don't like to be hyperbolic, but was day two of this Kupadas. Go, Baz! The greatest day in American history since maybe Washington crossing the Delaware up there? Up there. Man on the Moon? Up there. Invention of the cronut? Now I'm being crazy. I'm just glad we're not all getting carried away. The first half was near perfect and Christian Pulisic was the architect. You can thank his electric feet for the opener, which ended up going down as an own goal by Damien Bobadier. Then after that, it was the Flo Balogun Show.

3:46His first, a lovely right-footed finish, assisted again by Pulisic. But his second, oh my word, a beautiful run, a finesse touch, and then an exquisite shot straight into the top corner to make it 3-0. Cue absolute scenes at the Santa Monica Pier. I was there and it was absolute scenes. He is the first US player, by the way, to score twice in a World Cup match since 1930. Coincidentally, that was also against Paraguay. The visitors did get themselves back into it after the break, thanks to some pretty sloppy US defending. Was that going to spark a collapse, I hear you ask? Well, absolutely not, because Gio Reyna sealed a 4-1 win with a delicious Trevelo goal.

4:33At Tallboy Bar in DC, they were giving away free drinks if the USA win by three, which made Gio's delicious goal all the very sweeter.

4:50That was also Reina's first World Cup goal. So, Mauricio Pochettino's World Cup era for the US starts with a win and he has got them playing proper poch football. Fast attacking football with flair. Don't you just love it? He opted for a more casual look as well. I don't know if you guys noticed it. I rated it. It sort of gave me art teacher vibes. What do you think? Art science teacher, maybe? What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments. And I also just want to end this section by highlighting his quote after the game. He said, and now they realise that soccer is massive in America. Be careful.

5:29Other sports, excellent. Who needs the NBA anyway? They weren't the only hosts in action. Of course, Canada kicked off proceedings on Friday playing Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, buoyed by this.

5:47Flares, flags, drums, face paint and even cowboy hats. The Canada fans, they had it all. However, not ones to be outdone, this was the sound of the Bosnia fans.

6:02And they were somehow even louder when Jovo Lukic gave them the lead from a corner after 21 minutes. Canada pushed for an equaliser and pushed and pushed. And despite a stout Bosnian defence, they finally found it through Karl Lahren off the bench, sending fans absolutely wild.

6:261-1 is how it ended, the first point Canada has ever recorded at a World Cup. So they'll go on to play Qatar next Thursday, while the US will take on Australia in Seattle next Friday. Well, today it all ramps up. Four games coming up. Strap yourselves in, guys. In fact, this is the first of 15 consecutive days where there are at least four games a day. I can't work out if I'm incredibly excited by that prospect or maybe a little bit overwhelmed at the sheer volume of football coming our way. It all gets underway in San Francisco at 12pm Pacific, 3pm Eastern time as Qatar take on Switzerland in Group B.

7:06In all honesty, this match is not one that I'm expecting to be particularly close. The Swiss are expected to be pretty strong at this tournament with a stellar squad packed full of top-level experience, including, you know, the likes of Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez, Noah Okafor. Meanwhile, the Qataris, managed by former West Ham manager Julian Lopetegui, arrive in terrible form with just one win in their last 11 matches. But maybe don't write them off just yet. Rory Smith thinks they're not as bad as everyone's making out.

7:38Roger Bennett:Their form has been quite bad in the last year. They've only won once since June. A sense of but. But I think that they have actually used the 2022 World Cup which was mired in lots and lots of different types of controversies. But I think one of the lajacies of it is genuinely that Qatar now has a core of quite good football players and an actual football culture. OK, Qatar to win the World Cup then. Write that one down, everybody. That match is the football equivalent of having a glass of tap water before delving into a ribeye steak, if that is your sort of thing. Because ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for Brazil.

8:15Excellent. Yep, they're here, the five-time winners, the greatest team this tournament has ever known. Packed full of names that just roll off of the tongue. Alisson, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Rafinha, Vinicius Jr. The list just goes on and on and on, doesn't it? Not just that, though. They're managed by the Don himself, Carlo Ancelotti. And in New Jersey, it is safe to say that Brazil fans are even managing to drown out the Knicks fans.

8:48It is very funny. The Brazil fans here are chanting Cristiano Ronaldo came here to sightsee. Messi is a joke. We've got Neymar, although I have slightly paraphrased that because what they're singing about Messi is a little bit ruder than what I just said. Of course, this game is far from a gimme, though, for Brazil, as at 6pm Eastern in Group C, they take on controversial AFCON champions, Morocco. Look, look, I know they shouldn't actually be AFCON champions, but technically they are. Morocco. Morocco became... Wow, that was very passionate. Morocco became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final at the last tournament, and they have a star-studded team of their own, including one particular player who is the subject of today's drill down.

9:39Yep, today's drill down brought to you by Makita is a truly epic battle that will be taking place on Brazil's left-hand side as two of the best players in the world in their positions go head-to-head. It is mouth-watering this. Brazil left winger Vinicius Jr. against Morocco right-back Ashraf Hakimi may be the greatest individual sporting clash that New York has ever seen since Bronson v Wemby at MSG on Thursday. Ashraf will have his work cut out, though, working out exactly how to play this one. His attacking qualities are one of Morocco's greatest assets, particularly at creating chances. No PSG player provided more assists than Hakimi in the Champions League last season.

10:19But Vinny thrives in open space. So if Hakimi pushes too much, it could leave his defence exposed. It really is a game of chess. But, Morocco fans, it's OK, because head coach Mohamed Wabi says he has read all of Carlo Ancelotti's books, so therefore knows all of his secrets. Don't know if that'll help. Now, though, let's move on to...

10:51That sound can only be one set of fans. Of course, it is the Tartan army. That was the sight and sound on a quiet street in the suburbs of Boston at 6.30 in the morning as one Scotland fan decided to wake up the whole neighbourhood with his bagpipes. Fortunately for residents of that street, they can have some peace and quiet at 9pm Eastern tonight as all of those Scotland fans will be in Foxborough watching their side play in the World Cup for the first time since 1998. They take on Haiti in a Group C clash who are appearing after a 52-year absence. Estimates suggest that between 30 ,000 and 40 ,000 Scottish fans have travelled to Boston.

11:30And from the sounds of Boston Common last night, that's also the amount of bagpipes that have made the journey.

11:43As someone that is engaged to a Scottish man, let me tell you that you do sort of get used to it. I don't know about that. Good news, though, for Scotland fans is that their talismanic midfielder, Scott McTominay, was spotted back in training after he picked up a stomach bug. So that's good. Pressure is on, though. This game could not be any bigger, given that their group contains Brazil and Morocco. So a win is likely to be vital if they want to get to the knockouts. It is not going to be a walk in the park, though. The Caribbean Islanders shouldn't be underestimated. Their story of how they qualified despite deep political instability and a relentless security crisis is one of the stories of the tournament.

12:26They couldn't play any of their home matches in Haiti and their head coach, Sebastian Minier, has actually never been to the island. Premier League fans will recognise some of their players, including Wilson Isidor of Sunderland and Jean-Richner Bellegarde of Wolves. So, if you're in New Jersey, you've got the Brazilian fans that are singing. you've got the in Boston you've got all of the bagpipes and if you're in Vancouver you'll probably be hearing this

12:57amazing don't you just love it the final match of the day at midnight eastern 9 p.m pacific is the group D clash between Australia and Turkey one that USMNT fans will keep a very close eye on after yesterday's win. Turkey fans will be out in full force though no doubt wearing their iconic red jerseys and singing that chant you just heard over and over and over and over again. This is a team packed with attacking talent, including Real Madrid's Arda Gula and Juventus' Kynan Yildiz, two players who weren't even born the last time they appeared at a World Cup back in 2002. They're coached by former Italian striker Vincenzo Montella.

13:37He's won 60 % of matches since being appointed. They scored 17 goals in six qualifying group games, but they do have an error-prone defence that might just give the Australians a glimmer of hope in what will be a tricky match. The Socceroos are at their sixth consecutive tournament and were one of the darlings of Qatar 2022, beating Denmark and Tunisia to qualify for the knockouts. Tony Popovich was the boss then, Graham Arnold is the boss now, and he's made Australia much more defensively organised. They'll likely look to grind out narrow wins with clean sheets, but we all know this football arc is never that simple.

14:14Has cruel fate smashed your dreams of footballing glory during this FIFA World Cup? Fear not. You're now a sporting free agent. With your choice of squads, the opportunity to pick someone new, the teams with the catcher songs, the country you studied abroad in, the goalkeeper with the magnificent hair. When your team's gone, fun doesn't have to be, because on the Leyes bandwagon, every match is another excuse to grab a snack and pick a new favourite. There are no wrong answers, only good times and tasty snacks. So jump on and enjoy the rest of the tournament because Leyes keeps the party going and the bandwagon has never tasted better.

14:50Leyes, official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. A word from our friends at 14.40. 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. It 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 Matchday Live Tour.

15:31These are free college game day style live events taking place just before kickoff at some of the biggest games of the summer. But we'll be taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans. It's going to be amazing. Come and be with us in person or from afar on YouTube. And let's celebrate this summer the way it's meant to be celebrated. Head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details. To the football, to more together, courage.

16:02Do not forget everybody tonight after the final whistle of Australia against Turkey, head back over to the Men in Blazers YouTube for another round of the Night Cup where Rod and Rory Smith share a pint and break down the action of the day. Tonight they're joined by a stacked cast including James Horncastle, a special segment with Clint Dempsey and an old friend of the show who brings humour and perspective like none other, Mr Trevor Noah. The prediction challenge we do every day is really starting to grate on me and annoy me. If I'm being totally honest. And we've only done two days of it. And that is because I still haven't won a point yet.

16:37Yesterday, I took on Rory Smith from the Night Cup. For Canada against Bosnia, both Rory and I went for Canada wins. So no points to either of us. In the second game, we both predicted a US victory. But we both hugely underestimated the scale of the win. I went 2-1. Rory went 2-0. Which means no perfect score. And therefore, Night Cup retains its 1-0 lead in the series. Today, though, I grabbed former USMNT midfielder Carl Beckerman to give his scores on the doors. We've got Switzerland against host last time, Qatar. What do you say? Switzerland. Score line? 3-0. Oh, OK. I'm going to go Switzerland 1-0.

17:19OK. Haiti against Scotland. I'm going to go 1-1 draw. Oh. I just, I think I'm going to have to back Scotland. Kyle, I'm going to have to do 1-0 to Scotland. Scott McTominay, he's got a dodgy stomach at the moment apparently, but he's going to get the winner. All right, okay. Okay, what else have we got then coming up tomorrow? We have got the big one. We've got Brazil, Morocco. That is going to be tasty. Oh, should I do it? Let's say 2-2. 2-2, okay. I think Brazil are going to win. I think they're going to go far in this tournament. So I'm going to say 3-0 to Brazil. And then the final one, we've got Australia against Turkey.

18:10What should we do? I'm going to say Turkey 1-0. Yeah, Turkey 2-0 I'm going to go. Nice one. Thank you very much, sir. You bet. Thank you.

18:22Today's finishing touch is brought to you by Bear Paint Firstly, somebody call 911 Because we do need to report that there has been a theft England were the victims of an audacious World Cup heist after the players' match boots were stolen from a van before their first training session in Kansas City and boots weren't the only thing stolen they also lost key training equipment and footballs as well which isn't ideal considering you need a football in order to practice and train and get ready for the world cup it means that the england team only have one ball to train with so yeah if you're in the kansas city area and you do have a spare ball or any spare boots please do give england coach thomas tuckel a ring on 07 no i'm joking i divers number but on a happier note we want to talk about craig ferguson the scotland fan who on friday completed an epic 3 000 mile trek across america which finished in Boston Common ahead of Scotland's opening World Cup match against Haiti.

19:22He started the walk on February 24th right here in Santa Monica and on the way he passed through Death Valley, Denver, Kansas, Columbus, DC, New York and then finally on Friday he reached Boston where he was applauded by the Tartan army as he crossed the finish line.

19:44Oh my God, so many bagpipes in this show today, isn't there? It was quite the journey for Craig. Along the way, he met singer Lewis Capaldi and also his namesake and comedian, Craig Ferguson. He also did the coin toss before Scotland's friendly against Bolivia. And all of this wasn't just done for nothing. Craig raised$1.34 million for mental health charities, including a sizable donation from the Scottish Government. And what is Craig's takeaway from this epic walk? If there's one lesson you should learn in life it is that you should never tell a Scotsman what he can and can he do. Well, in the spirit of that sentiment we'll expect to see the Tartan Army at the World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19th then, which shouldn't be too far for Craig to walk.

20:31That is it for Morning Cup Date today brought to you by The Home Depot. you can join the Home Depot to welcome the world to our backyards and get fast free delivery on everything you need to get match day ready, subject to availability. And speaking of match day ready, head on over to the Men in Blazers shop for all of your patriotic needs with the GoGo USA collection, anchored by the unofficial third first kit. Inspired by these iconic 1994 denims, there are tees, hats, bandanas, pins, and of course, scarves. everything you need to dress like it is the summer of your life or just dress like Rog.

21:06The link is in the notes below. We'll be back tomorrow, but until then, enjoy day three of the World Cup.

21:18You never know where your next unforgettable experience will pop up. That's why bringing along an American Express card opens the door to rewards wherever you go. Morning coffee run with an old friend? earn cash back. Weekend getaway, earn miles. Dinner at the hottest restaurant in town? You get the idea. No matter the place or the plan, Amex rewards your inner explorer. Learn about card options at AmericanExpress.com. Terms apply.