Spain outlasts Belgium and previewing Haaland's Norway vs Kane's England LIVE from the New Balance Football House: Night Cup 07/10/26

28:25Pablo Torre thinks it's a PSYOP. Pablo Torre's going to get to the bottom of it. I think in about two weeks. When he said yesterday, when he said, I think someone's going to get to the bottom of it. Freddie's gone, man. He's out of Pablo's reach. Freddie's gone. He never even existed. Second Pulitzer loading and probably a ball on the oar for Pablo Torre also. Our Rolling Hills 20 in the chat says, the chat is now full of very angry Walloon, Schadenfreude. Seeing Belgium lose was but a brief joy, but we Americans will take it. You can't cast Belgium as the bad guys. Belgium didn't do anything wrong.

29:03You really can't. They just won a football match. That's all Belgium did. I don't feel we need to have America developing a rivalry with Belgium. That is not the correct conclusion from this World Cup. Are you talking about our rival Belgium? The World Cup of Love ends with everyone in the United States hating Belgium. They tried to claim Audrey Hepburn and we're not going to let them get away with that crap. Just give them something. I was actually... There was only one true Waffle House rule and that was just, there's a line and they've definitely gone over it, baby. But that was it. Spain survived.

29:41They're a tough watch. They're a frustrating watch. You know, the German notion of the World Cup that we always talk about is the Tournier-Manschaft, the team that plays themselves into form game after game, don't look good at the beginning, but let every single game find a rhythm, find a form, find a starting lineup, find an identity. Spain are not close to doing that. and yet they're in a World Cup semi-final. It depends what you think they're trying to get to with Spain. It's not their job to excite you. They're not here to entertain us. They're here to win football matches and they've found a way to do that.

30:17I would agree it's not like they're getting better. I suppose they're not drawing nil-nil with Cape Verde at the moment. So they are getting a bit better. But they haven't produced a signature performance. But then maybe that's what this Spain is. Maybe this is what they do. This is how they played in the Euros and they won that. Which brings us to France in Dallas on Tuesday. Big news for French fans. We saw Mbappe go down in the 77th minute yesterday and he's packed himself on the bench with what looked like a little ankle injury. He basically declared himself fit. Post-game, Didier Deschamps says he's got a slight pain in his ankle, nothing serious.

30:58Watching France play yesterday, it was like watching Manchester City at their peak where you're watching football beautiful football at times but with no suspense there's no jeopardy it never for one minute feels like they're going to lose Barour who's won the last two games between these two teams Spain are they the one team in France's heads they're the one team the French are afraid of because the only way you can defend France is not let them have the ball and Spain are probably the only team in the world that can do that. You can't stop the... If the French get the ball and they can attack you, they will score.

31:35If they never have the ball or if they rarely have the ball, then they can't hurt you. And I think that's what happened. I was at that game in 2024 when Lamine scored that wonder goal as a 16-year-old to get Spain into the final. And I think the French do have a little bit of a... I mean, there's history there as well, Rog, obviously. But I think they've got a little bit of a kind of psychological complex against Spain, that Spain can find a way to keep them at arm's length in a way that nobody else can. We asked in the chat, France versus Spain, who's reaching the final? Mbappe's Le Bleu, 79%, Jamal and La Roja.

32:11I like that. 21%. Aaron Smith, 6568, says, I love modern theology today. Has cruel fate smashed your dreams of football in 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 were 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 Lays 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 Lays keeps the party going, and the bandwagon has never tasted better.

32:56Lays, official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Has 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 Lays 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 Lays keeps the party going and the bandwagon has never tasted better.

33:37Lays, official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. 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. These 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.

34:14Just head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details. To the football, to more together courage. to lesser teams roll the soccer dudes clip

34:29soccer dudes I get sadder and sadder and sadder with every play it's so bleat still too soon it's so bleat I'd like to be buried to that as I go down in my casket I'd like that to be the last thing that plays we got this raven from a GFOP Ross Eaton who wrote something beautiful on the topic of hope everybody's trying to process what the hell happened? Didn't it all feel so good? How did Country Road suddenly sound? Sad than Tracy Chapman's fast car. It felt great. Now feels like just a world of darkness. This is Ross's words. On the topic of hope, I hypothesize that I continue to mix my sports metaphors in an incredible essay on baseball, The Green Fields of the Mind, Bart Giamatti, MLB Commissioner, Yale President, probably knows that the kettle is, and father of actor, mighty, mighty Paul Dramatti, describes the end of an ultimately disappointing Boston Red Sox season, thusly he says, it breaks your heart because it's designed to break your heart.

35:33And the point is, isn't that the American World Cup journey? It engenders hope. It breaks your heart almost every time. And yet you do come back to it again because the breaking proves that your heart's still there, still functioning, still capable of holding hope, elation, pain, and the whole gamut of the human experience. I mean, that's football. That's what we're all going through all of the time because for the most part, all it does is make you completely miserable. And then occasionally, your team doesn't lose and you get to sort of enjoy your Sunday. That's the whole point of the exercise.

36:10No, I think it wasn't the elimination. It's not for me to speak for America. But it wasn't the fact they went out. It was the style in which they went out that really hurt, I think. And that will... You've got to feel your feelings, Rog. What did that lady in Los Angeles say to us? You've got to be present. You've got to be present. Just be present. Just kept repeating it. Just be present. Just be present. I still don't know what it means. But it sounds very unwritten. It's the most Los Angeles thing that ever Los Angeles... But she was actually saying it to someone who's dead inside. So it was not that useful, even though she kept repeating it.

36:42And I do feel dead. but I found an incredible sense of renewal in your beautiful words, you mighty Ross Eaton. Send us your postal address and I'm going to send you a note, you bad man. It's time for the highlight of the show, the mid-roll preview, which is, we're about to get to tomorrow's matches. There's no sting, I ran out of money, baby. There's just merch, because we're looking to commemorate this magical summer and we are putting out top, top, top merch designs daily, like those behind me, England and Norway they're all on our shop at the Men in Blazers site get stuck in baby I will say when I go to the games and I see people wearing our merch it fills my heart with joy for a very joyless human being I do get a lot of joy from other people which means big previews, bigger games let's get into tomorrow, it's England bloody Norway, Roar I know just explain that you know if England win the World Cup I'm not going home it will be unbearable oh my god now I'm actually I'm going to join Piers Morgan in international waters now I'm leaving floating around with John Terry just describe what the front page of one of the Scottish newspapers was today so it's the Herald which is the Scottish newspaper that backs independence and it's a picture of Erling Haaland dressed up as Braveheart with a Norwegian cross on his face and it says, come on, Erling, you're our final hope.

38:13And then the subdeck, the bit underneath, is we can't bear another 60 years of them going on about it, which is exactly what will happen if they win. If they make the final against the French, I will be onions around my neck, stripy jumper, bigamy, everything, everything you need. Yeah, it would be unbearable. So the only thing that would be different about you would be the onions around the neck. Noted bigamist, Rory Smith. Let's get into the game. I mean, it is an epic clash. It's like Godzilla, Mothra, Ben & Jerry's versus Brain Freeze. Norway, England, Erling Haaland against Jude Bellingham.

38:50Mates, WhatsApp buddies, teammates at Dortmund for two seasons. Also, Harry Kane and the quest for immortality. I just want to say about Harry Kane. Genuinely, the fact that that man is just trying to decode defeat is inner Englishness is just, I've never seen anything like it. Just the hate, the scorn, the criticism. We always laugh that if you give an English person the choice between their own success and your failure, they'll choose your failure every single time. Even the England supporters have mocked scorn, you know, tried to, he's still chugging in the most glorious way. I mean, he is such a defiant and beautiful human being.

39:32yeah this England team is the one that cannot believe it's made it this far you know out of the Azteca somehow still alive the temperature is going to be 90 degrees at kickoff this is amazing 90 degrees in Miami feels like 110 the Florida meteorologist Matt Devitt this was his weather report first ever swamp ass warning this is how they do it down there raw I've got to tell you that's a perma setting for me swamp ass but I'm not sure England are going to like it, baby. I feel like that's not a great advert for American culture, if I'm honest. What's wrong with that? I don't think your meteorologist should be saying Swampass.

40:10I feel like we've probably got a word for that. Well, we tell it how it is. Yeah, okay. We tell it how it is. That will be tough. I mean, obviously, the Norwegians famously used to high temperatures. So it might not. I don't know if it would give anyone an advantage. But England look like they're held together by tape at this point. Mark Gay's got a hamstring injury. Declan Rice is nursing the sort of ongoing collapse of his body. Pukai Osaka's not fully fit. They have Bellingham and Kane, these kind of contrasting superstars. One really unassuming, one very assuming. I think that's fair to say.

40:45Bellingham is like... Bellingham's a really American athlete. Bellingham really believes... You know, he is a winner and he's not afraid to tell you, which is something we're still learning to process. It's about you. It's not about him. I can't tell you, I admire that so greatly. Emma Hayes is the other English person that is like him, that it's just, I am a winner. I win. That's what I do. English people are very uncomfortable with that, man. I mean, I'm very uncomfortable with that, and I'm American. But the reality is, that team left everything on the Azteca. I mean, they won the battle. Are they going to...

41:16I don't see how they can win the war. This will come. You'll see with France, too. Like, they've travelled. They've gone through heat. I mean, everyone is getting blunter and blunter, more and more self-immolated. But the reality is, man, are they just going to throw 11 carcasses out onto the field, which is pretty much how Everton have done it for the last 10 seasons? Well, it is the Everton way. You're right. I think the France game yesterday, even they looked tired in that heat in Foxborough. Today, it would have been a factor. So far, it's quite breezy, but I think the heat was right up there in LA as well.

41:53that will be a massive factor for the rest of the tournament as it gets hotter and hotter and hotter and the teams get more and more tired. England have enough depth in their squad I think but the big problem they've got they are better player for player than Norway except that Norway up front have got a Viking god and that is it feels in many ways like doping to be like oh we're going to play an immortal up front that is I that should be in article 27 that shouldn't be allowed in Article 27. He is a Viking vibes, Max. It is remarkable. I've never seen all these footballers trying to win over America, all of them.

42:28They all came here to win the World Cup. But if they're being honest, Mbappe, Haaland, I mean, Messi has already won over America. It is incredible how every single athlete we've met, even if they don't watch football, just watches that man. He's truly transcendent. But this man, no one has had a better World Cup than him. He's won America over, mostly by telling us how much he loves us. When he said, Americans, they're very funny, huh? Like, we love people who love us. This gentleman, you know, Pele was the face of football for two decades because he came over here in the 70s. America, this may be the face of football going forward, that face.

43:06And it's beautiful. But he, I mean, all of them, and Bape too, they want to win the commercial battle. They want to be, they see David Beckham as over, you know, probably seven commercials, too many. They see a real opportunity. they've watched Christian Pulisic's acting they think they can beat it I don't think that's humanly possible but he is running through the tournament like a genetically engineered dinosaur through a very poorly thought out theme park it has to be said 27 goals in his last 14 appearances for Norway 7 goals from just 18 shots in this tournament he's an economist's dream he's also on this generational charm offensive but how did defenders lose track of this man rule that's why i do not understand it's like misplacing a parade float he's right there well there was that there's the footage of him before the first goal that goal against brazil which is sort of should be overlaid with the david attenborough narrative because he's sort of walking around he looks like he's lost or he's kind of trying to find a contact lens and then slowly it's like a panther like pouncing on a deer or whatever like he just suddenly decides it's there speeds up a little bit a little bit little bit and bang he goes and he's suddenly kind of out jumping gabriel magalias which is not easy easy to do he is he is a force of nature and he'll be the one player i think that england will be genuinely worried about stopping all of england's games so far have been pretty tight maybe not panama but everything else has been in the balance and harland is a difference maker and i guess the flip side is also true that norway will look at him and think well he's there so we've got a chance Brian Young 4697 in the chat says Harold Hardrata gets his revenge save that for when Humphrey Carr comes back and we can do the Norse mythology bits but another stat from Opta the England fans will think about between the hours of 2 and 4am when they actually try and get some sleep tonight when they faced each other in the Premier League Holland has scored 7 of the 10 shots he'd ever taken on target against gorgeous Jordan Pickford, he feasts on Dan Burns statistically.

45:14But bizarrely, Konza snuffs him out. Really weird. Esri Konza's not particularly big. For a central defender, he's not massive. He's quick. He's really smart. But I was surprised when I read that. I don't know how relevant I think it is. I think it might be that Aston Villa, who Esri Konza plays for, have quite a good record against Manchester City. I think that maybe is more relevant. The official in this game, I love this, Frenchman Clement Turpin. You may remember him for such things as sending Thomas Tuchel off in the 2023 Champions League game. And looking like Leandro Tossard. Yeah, God bless.

45:52You remember that, man. Tuchel, after the game, described Turpin as being, quote, greedy and gave him a rating. I would give him a rating of one out of ten, which I'm sure, Monsieur Turpin has forgotten all about before this game. I do also love FIFA. England tried to get Gerald Quantz's one game suspension overturned and they doubled it instead. I think they gave him Balogans one match. Get a Prime Minister. We don't have one. We don't have one. Who's going to intervene? It's got to threaten genuinely tariffs on FIFA and they welt. But I've got a feeling Thomas Tuchel may have actually pushed for the double ban based on how Conte's played.

46:29Roar, quickly, Norwegians have spent the day, as they do, rowing in huge numbers for anyone who had a camera in Miami. Take a look at this.

46:44They're doing this even though they've got swampy ass right now. Imagine that. 10 ,000 swampy Norwegian butt cracks. This is a commit to the bit. The Norwegian author. I'm prepared to accept this for the remainder of the tour. You are, but no longer. They have to leave it in the US. Essentially, you're giving this all your crap, all the things you don't like. The Icelandic Thunderclap lost its novelty very quickly. and I think we shouldn't do that with the row. I don't want to see like Peterborough United fans rowing next season. I don't need that. The Norwegian author, Karl over Norsegaard today said, a gent, I love his books.

47:19They're so bleak. When I want to be sad about something other than Everton Football Club, I read his crap. He said, you have to understand, Norway's Viking row is a metaphor, Roar. He said, we are all in the same boat, all of us, and this World Cup brings us together. This is a symbol of all that. And then he added, it's a bit corny, and I hope I will never be put in the situation to have to do it, which I think is like the Norwegian version of Groucho Marx, not wanting to join the club, then we'd have him as a member. He looks like old Jack Grealish. He looks like Jack Grealish in about two years at Everton.

47:54Jack Grealish if he could read. If Jack Grealish could read, he'd be proper dangerous, and I love that man. By the way, quick shout-out to the Norwegian fan who has gone viral for refusing to take part in the Viking row because... Yeah, I love this. Because they didn't row across the Atlantic. They sailed, which I think is amazing. Franklin Leonard, God bless him, called that man Norwegian Larry David. But the best thing is in the interviews, he's doing all the Zoom interviews for the TV. He's doing dozens of them. With oars crossed behind him. So it's not that he doesn't like rowing. He just wants it to be historical.

48:30He doesn't like a historical thing. Yeah, I admire that. It looks like Noel Gallagher when Man City do the Poznan. By the way, that man is all across British Talk TV today. He will be on the Today Show by Tuesday if Norway win this game, and I love him for it. This is the joy of this World Cup, man. It's just like in the social media age, everything is just spawning 12 ,000 stories. Even when the football is a bit crap as it is today, we are just utterly, utterly enthralled and entertained. At AJ Piano, the row's just a thunderclap with a different dance move, though. I don't want to hear it until the Americans come up with their own thing, man.

49:07We are so bereft as a football nation. I'll be watching this game live on Trevor Noah's live stream tomorrow, so I would completely avoid that. If you don't want to watch me, watch a game with that brilliant man. But it's time for some science. We ran a poll in the chat. England versus Norway. Who's going to win, by the way? England. I said that with no joy whatsoever. Are you saying that because you're trying to manage you and worse? No, well, partly, yeah. A little bit. But no, I think they are... They should be favourites. They don't actually play Norway very often. They've not played them for a while.

49:37And I think that there is a chance that England will underestimate Norway. They'll feel like the big brother. But I think they have too much quality for them. Chad thinks 51 % Norway, 49%. Really? Yeah, yeah, you may be happy. I've always said that the best place to get your opinions is YouTube comment section. That's it. It's up there. It's not quite Kelsey, baby, but it's up there. To the nightcap, Argentina, Switzerland. First thing, before we get to this clash, I do want to, we've not talked about this enough as I was coming home from Boston last night in the middle of the darkness. I did realise Lionel Messi, this man, this exquisite demigod, this little skill-soaked Ewok of human joy, we forget he's doing all this.

50:20He's an MLS player, man. He is. I'm not trying to be funny, but like MLS often sonnies players. You know what I mean? They go and their skills slowly evaporate like bing bong and inside out. Stop talking about bing bong. It's a testament. I know it's harrowing. How many times have you watched that film when we've been away? I've just watched that clip when I feel sad so I can feel sadder. But it is a testament to his game, man. You know, it's not based on power that can go. It's not based on pace that can be robbed from you. I mean, it's based on his mind, his foot, I mean, his alchemy. Yeah, I mean, I guess MLS has provided him with a level of competition that he needs to kind of keep himself bubbling.

51:06I think that's why he came. He didn't come because he thought it was, I'm 36, and I really want an extra challenge in my career. He came to conserve energy, to not kind of be in the blood and bullets of the Champions League anymore. but it's obviously providing him with enough competition that he's sharp that which is important he doesn't look like he's gone rusty but he doesn't need to be he doesn't run around anymore he just walks he literally walks the whole time until he gets the ball where he wants it and then he suddenly he'll run for a little bit against Egypt he did track back once I noticed it I thought wow that's interesting he can do it you could see he did track back I was watching the game and then he realised he was doing it got angry with himself and just like stopped.

51:50This is a waste of my time. But he did it, which is what I do when I track back. He sort of looked around and said, yeah, see, I'm working. I'm trying, everybody. But he doesn't need to. He just, he has that brilliance of, it's in his brain. The game happens like the game plan, Rog, in the mind of the players. He sees everything before anybody else does. That photo is like a John Woo movie. I love it more than I can say. To the game, Argentina coming into this game off back-to-back, 3-2 score lines, including that extra time win against pugnacious, tenacious Cape Verde. Still miss them. That quasi-biblical miracle of a comeback against Egypt, which still genuinely, when I think about it, I can't believe I watched it with my own eyes.

52:34It was like the golden calf being smelted by Argentinian football fans. Three goals in the final 15 minutes. But what should we make of these two performances? Should we just be like, this is a team of destiny. They've run on emotion. They've got more emotion than we could ever imagine. They're like the South American Goonies. They'll never say die. Or should we be like, this can't hold, man. You can't keep just like edging with death, screaming into the abyss, pulling back, and having like last minute miracle fuel messy escapes as a viable strategy. Well, it worked for them four years ago. They were just as neurotic, just as kind of panicked, just as chaotic in Qatar and they eventually came through it.

53:18The contrast with France and Spain is really interesting because they're both so cold in their own ways. They look so, as you say, like France's football without jeopardy. This team is better than that team and they will win. Spain are completely in control and have been for most of the tournament, whereas Argentina are pure, unadulterated, emotional mayhem. And for some reason, you could see it against Egypt, as soon as Romero scored the first, they thought this ends with us winning this not after extra time not we can take this to penalties it was we will win this in normal time and there is nothing you can do to stop it they have such a strong belief in their own sense of destiny that it's contagious i mean scaloni afterwards said something beautiful he said football is this not just tactics and strategies those are important but it's heart that's what we have without heart we would have been out football is heart and guts and getting really favourable decisions from referees.

54:16It's a piece of piss. Exactly, that's all you need. That's what you're saying. Despite these cracks, Argentina still has not lost in 11 straight World Cup matches, stretching back to the opening round group game, the where is Messi game, the 2-1 piece of misdirection against Saudi Arabia. Switzerland never beat Argentina. Seven previous meetings, five losses, two draws. They're almost an enigma. I don't understand them. They continue to grind out results. They outlasted Colombia on penalties. Are their matches pretty? No, they're not. Are they tactically satisfying? Also no. They combined with Colombia to produce a 0.7 XG.

54:57Switzerland's last shot on target in that game was in the 32nd minute. I mean, I could keep going on. One of their best players, Johan Manzambi, is out injured. People would do anything to avoid a$69 million move to Newcastle. that's rumoured. Can you just remind us, Roar, how did they get this from? Switzerland are really good at knockout football. They are good at tournaments. They're not really... I actually thought in the group stage they played quite well, but since that point, they have reverted to Swiss type. They are really well organised. They've got a really kind of good understanding, a core that's been together for probably six to eight years now.

55:33So they kind of get each other. The relationships are there. They're quite versatile. This is all damning with faint praise. You've got no idea. They're quite boring. They've got some decent players. But they do this consistently. They will invariably make the last 16 of a World Cup. And yeah, they took Colombia to penalties. Colombia were the better team in that game. And then they beat them on penalties. The thing is, they are kind of the opposite to Argentina. Switzerland are no emotion whatsoever. They are kind of process mentality. They won't really try and come out and attack them. They will lie in wait and hope that Argentina make a mistake.

56:08in the last two games, Argentina have made mistakes. It's process, process, process. Trust the process. The key PMG of international sides. It is a bit like watching a consultancy firm do some auditing. Yeah, no one knows what they're doing, but God bless. It's working for them. I love this too. A Portuguese official, Joao Pinheiro. Tudo bem. Tudo bem. Tudo bem. We'll be in charge of this one. Here's what I love about Argentina games. Did you know this? Two English officials left in the pool, Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver. English people are not allowed to referee Argentina games by FIFA because of the Falklands War, which happened.

56:44It was between Argentina and the UK in 1982. Anthony Taylor was three years old at the time. Michael Oliver was not even born. But you can imagine FIFA think his mother in her unborn tummy was whispering, there'll never be Las Malvinas. There'll never be that. To her stomach for nine straight months. Did you know that? We can't. Yeah, I'm fascinated by what happens if England get Argentina in the semi-final, because I think that's going to be a really interesting tale to the World Cup of Love. That stadium in Atlanta is completely open. There's no segregation. And that is not going to work with Argentina and England fans.

57:20It's a genuine moment. It would have been the same if it had been Argentina-Brazil. They're going to have to think about maybe putting some fences up, I think. Even when we were there for the Egypt game, They were chanting, El que nos altes un inglés. He who doesn't jump is English. That is a genuine full-scale rivalry, and it will not be especially pretty if they play each other. England never play Argentina. They don't have friendlies. They try not to encounter each other at all. It's the one thing that might make it worthwhile if England get through. That would make your life bearable. I just want to see how it plays out.

57:57And I've just realised we're going to be in Atlanta for that game. I can hardly wait. Good job I'm American now. I've got no horse in that race, baby. That's Sun Tzu's 5650, says. You're not going to believe this. For all that's good and noble, somebody please get that beautiful man of Roger Loeb. It is catching on. It's not, Rog. Going to neck down many Roger Loeb's when I leave the New Balance house. Aaron Smith, 6568, says. Heart, guts, decisions by referees. Is Rory's next book. OK, it is time for the food. Just play us the sting and get us the pizza in. the european mind cannot come here you're eating uh for the european mind we're in america the mecca new york city of pizza it's incredibly cold uh but it's a lucia pizza from right around the corner you've traveled to some of the greatest places in this nation la seattle atlanta boston new york i guarantee you will not taste anything that is this good as a piece of pizza that a rat would drag through a subway what this has been basically is a month of men and blazers force-feeding me junk food that is cold which i think is the best temperature for junk food the um that's a really nice pizza it's an unbelievable piece of pizza it's an unbelievable it's like brain poppingly good i'm gonna go yeah give us a sky i think you're gonna go i think you're gonna go 9.1 I love pizza.

59:27Yeah. 9.2. 9.2. Do we have the leaderboard? I don't know. I'm not in charge of this stuff. Yeah, yeah, there you go. Oh, my God. It's on there. Oh, it knocks out. I genuinely feel tragic because Busy B in Atlanta is one of my favorite places in the world. But that list is very Atlanta heavy. I'd like to shrink the board a little bit tighter and keep Busy B on the bottom. So if we can go down to font clicks, keep Busy B on, jam this pizza in here. People love a top six list, Rog. That's the established number. It's the future, baby. Take us home with a letter from the great Adam S. As you know, we try and close the show with your letters, your journeys, your stories, your feelings, America.

1:00:06Keep slamming them into our quite active mailbox, meninblazersgmail.com. Get in there on the old Discord. Tag us on social. But let's make memories together raw. Take it away, baby. I heard about your podcast for the first time during this World Cup. I'm a long-time soccer fan. That suggests that the marketing's not done very well.

1:00:28Shit. Live in Oklahoma. Come visit. And have never dived into European soccer league fandom. Your podcasts have made this World Cup exponentially more enjoyable for me. And I'm confident you would make the EPL much more accessible to a newcomer. They are going to be disappointed. Rather than randomly and blindly pick a team to follow, I figure I'd just start watching and enjoying. than if I was drawn to a team, I could declare allegiance. Do you have any other advice? Also, when researching you, I read about the American Fiasco podcast series, and I'm already halfway through it. It's so good. Thanks for all your good work, Adam S.

1:01:05I've got to say, Adam, that is very lovely, your letter, your kind, bloody words. You are one of, I think, thousands and thousands of Americans who are being turned on to the football through this World Cup. It's an incredibly big funnel. and I just say it is one of the joys of this seeing so many Americans like you really getting into the global side of the game. I mean, this community, this dark way of life, I think, really. I'd say for a team, I don't know how you'd handicap that, Bubz. I think that's quite nice, like watching unattached and then, yeah, I find it difficult to kind of get my head around the idea that you could actively choose a team with no information.

1:01:48I think you should kind of, if you have that blank slate to opt into it, it made sense to kind of watch and see what grabs your attention. It might be a jersey, it might be a player, it might be, you know, you see a team score a late winner or something and that draws you in. I think that's probably the best way to do it. Just don't choose one of the ones that's owned by a country. That would be my advice. They're all owned by America now, baby. We're entering the American century. There's not a team. The last one was the American century. You can't have all of the centuries. This one should be for China.

1:02:20Yeah. Not in football. No, I don't know. I would say don't pick one of the obvious ones, I suppose. It's more fun if a slightly smaller team wins once than watching a bitter team win all the time. I'd nurture towards Bournemouth, but the honest truth is just tune in, wallow, revel, let that team choose you. There will be one that will reach out and speak to you, will just grab you by the heart, by the throat, by the mind. Welcome to Everton. Welcome to Everton, my friend. I've just done an incredible solid to that human being. He's on a journey. He's buying at the bottom of the market, is what I'd say.

1:03:03We're going to the moon, baby. We've got three stops left on our Match Day Live tour. For anyone out there who has not experienced one yet, we're off the fumes, the joy, the wonder of Boston, man, which was really an exquisite experience. 97 degrees. We lost 50 pounds, but we're emotionally enlightened. These are pre-match preview shows, like college game day style. They've honestly been quite life-affirming. I can't wait for the Argentina-England one that you've just talked about, where we're going to be commentating amidst a pitch battle in downtown Atlanta. That's going to end well. But our next show is Dallas.

1:03:42It's a very American-ly named soccer celebration at Simpson Plaza, as our head of the semifinal on Tuesday. My God, we're going to be there with the Spains and the Frances and all that crap. We're going to be joined on the stage by an old friend. It's only your NFL MVP, Super Bowl winner, winner of one, the three-time Super Bowl champion, Emmitt Smith, the Moose, Mr. Daryl Johnston, and Horny, James Horncastle, will be in our loving arms. And we've got Wrexham's Humphrey Carr, who looks, my God, he looks like a consumptive poet in that photo. I couldn't love him more. If you're in Dallas, come and join us.

1:04:20Give us a hug. Let's rise a point together. It's going to be a beautiful day. After that, we'll be in Atlanta. I can't remember who's joined us there. Luda Chris. Luda Chris. How can I forget? Of all the Chris's. The best Chris. The best Chris. Top three Chris of all time is Luda. Before we go, I do want to thank our incredible friends at New Balance for letting us tape this show in this beautiful, beautiful space. It is just a joy to partner with such a value-driven, authentic brand. I really, really mean it. I've loved it since I was a kid. I've always worn New Balance. My brother, my parents were terrible at naming children.

1:04:59Roger, it's a terrible name. My brother's got the only worst one available, Nigel. So we love New Balance because he thought they were like monogrammed shirts when he got the NB on his shoes. And we've always worn them. They are joyful. Whenever you hear the commercial on television, genuinely, it's the one commercial that always lifts your spirits, lifts your energy, brings you joy, and that's the truth of the brand. It is soulful. The footballers they choose, Saka, Eze, Human Wonders, Everton Legend, James Rodriguez, and more. So I just want to thank them for partnering with us on this journey.

1:05:36I want to thank in particular a slew of great people, Mighty, mighty Andrew McGarty, Ian Fitzpatrick, who is just a soulful, soulful gent, Frank Kleibun, Peter Burton, Shana Travis, Lee Lipari, double L, Jim Burton. And to celebrate this incredible night, MIB and New Balance are going to give everybody a football jersey for coming to be with us to remember this evening. Find your favourite one, go to the register after the show and we'll give you one for twice the price. This is how we've all been. They're so generous. To everyone here, I just want to thank you. It has been just a joyous journey as we've gone across the nation.

1:06:18Rory Smith, you're an incredible human being. To listen to you is to feel energized. It's been an experiment in sleep deprivation. We're living in a post-sleep world, and the honest truth is we are so honored to be speaking to the human beings who are listening to this live. Your insights, your warmth, your joy, your conversation is what is driving us. Seeing so many familiar faces in this room is incredibly beautiful. So many of you have supported us through this World Cup. We are knackered, carried on the wings of your support. So thank you for coming out. Thank you for being with us. Come be with us.

1:07:02We don't take a moment of it for granted. Ro, I'll see you tomorrow after the Argentina game. Big, big love. Courage. Sucker dudes.