USMNT vs Australia preview with Vamos’ Herc Gomez, plus Christian Pulisic on playing with freedom at AC Milan: Men in Blazers 10/13/25

0:00You're listening to the Men in Blazers Media Network, Suboptimal Radio.

0:14USA Monday morning quarterback time. In one moment, we got an interview with Christian Pulisic in the form of his life, a man Tyler Adams, confidently referred to in the newest episode of our show, The Captain, which you can also find linked below, as world-class. But first, let's smoke clear the way, analyse Friday nights. 1-1, come from behind, draw. with second in Comma Bowl, Ecuador. Very good team. Sure none of the best parts. No Moises Caicedo or Hincapi. We were depleted too. No Anthony Robinson, no Tyler Adams, no Pulisic or no Fit Pulisic until the 73rd minute. A terrific Flo Balogun performance.

0:48But first, let me introduce my friend, the King of Vamos, our incredible new content hub on the Men in Blazers media network covering the US men's team, CONCACAF and so much more. ESPN wonder. It's Mr. Hercules Gomez. Raj, I am so glad to be with you. under these circumstances, because usually when we cover and we do the Monday morning quarterback with the U.S. men's national team, we're talking about what went wrong. And I feel like today is going to be a little bit different. Yeah, it is. It is. It's Texas, baby. It's full heart, clear eyes, can draw a 1-1 draw at home. You called it, quote, the best performance thus far of the Pochettino era.

1:24That was you at full time. Soccer's coming home, baby. Can you just explain your thinking, Herc? Let's go back. Maybe March, opening window. of the Nations League versus Jamaica, that initial game in the home and away series, that was a good performance by Pochettino and his men. Or can we go back to the very first performance versus Panama? Yes, I know, a different Panamanian side looking at some new names and it was Pochettino's first introduction into the US men's national team, but that was also a good performance. But besides that, the bar was so low, Raj, that there were no good performances, that this is easily the best performance of the Pochettino era.

2:02And I don't think it's a surprise that you call in good players, you call in the best players at the moment, and you get a good performance at this level. Players who are playing minutes with their teams also, which I think there's a correlation there. Look, Ecuador are a bloody good team. They are of the caliber of like the mid-level European teams that we face, Turkey and Switzerland. My God, I've still got the shivers when I think about those two performances. Too soon, too soon. So you can read into this performance what you will. And us US fans, I always say this now, we are so good at that, a performance filled with an admirable level of fight.

2:39I think that was the top level for me. And I love reading the comments post-game, the mood swings really on USMNT only. Post-game, I think my favorite, this is a real one. I will not mention the name of the person, but this is a real quote. Let's not forget, we're missing key players like Rainer, Skelly, Adams, Anthony Robinson, Pepe Sargent, etc. But we just all caps dominated Ecuador. I have a good feeling about the World Cup. Semis or bust. When I read that, first of all, I love it. I love the just the surging optimism off that Friday performance. But I'll have some of what that person is smoking.

3:17Or drinking. I'll have one. This is to you. I'll take some of that as well. Listen, I want to be fair because Moises Caicedo, during his transfer was the most expensive player in the Premier League in Premier League history, the best league in the world. And he's a defensive player that changes the structure and maybe outcomes of a lot of their games. If he's on the field in Capier as well, good players. OK, that's fine. That's fine. But the U.S. men's national team were also missing players. So that comes not too far off. They were also missing their Moises Caicedo in Tyler Adams. They were also missing a very important player down the left hand side and Anthony Robinson.

3:54They were also missing Serginio Dest, who was very important to the U.S. men's national team in unlocking defenses. And they were also missing, and at half gas, a player who couldn't play because of an ankle pain, who played 20 minutes in Christian Pulisic, who, yes, Tyler Adams said is as close to the world class as any American player has ever been. And I agree with him. I've been on that train for quite some time. So, yes, you don't have these players in Ecuador, but you were missing a lot. And what I saw left me really, really hopeful. So let's focus on the positives. And we have to start there with the performance of one follower in Baloghan at number nine.

4:27Jen looked so hungry, like he wanted to hurt his opponent every time he was on the ball from the very off. There was power, there was pace, there was intelligence, there was confidence. He got his goal in the 71st minute after a fine interchange with Malik Tillman. This was as dominating a number nine performance against a non-conquercaf team, as I've seen in years from this US team. And this was a player who lost and frustrated for his time in the Berhalter system. Is this a case of Poch improving a player in a U.S. jersey? I don't know if it's a case of Poch improving a player in a U.S. jersey or a player finding his form with the U.S.

5:05men's national team. We've seen it with Malik Tillman. We were asking questions of Malik Tillman. When can he be the club player at the national team level? And he seems to now be unlocking himself with the national team. Farlan Balogun is a forward that went for over$40 million. He's a player that was on Arsenal's radar. He was in the books. He probably could have stayed, decided not to. He left when Thierry Henry said, you need to leave, leave Arsenal. He left, went to Monaco, and it's been frustrating times. But you're starting to see glimpses of the player you think he can be. It's been quite some time since the U.S.

5:38men's national team, let alone a nine, but a forward had the profile of a Farlan Balogun, A player that is lethal in spaces and running in behind and beyond defenses, but with the ability to link up and also the ability to create for himself. It's been quite some time since the U.S. men's national team had a nine like that. Usually their profiles. They're of the Charlie Davies, a guy that can get behind you. They're of the, you know, Haji Wright, a guy that's a big frame. They're of the, you know, Josie Alter. Maybe a slight combination of all. Foller and Balogun can be of that, a slight combination of all.

6:16And he's showing you that he has the ability to play by himself. Because oftentimes when the U.S. men's national team needed an outlet, he was there. When they needed somebody who had the IQ to combine, he was there. When they need somebody who can create something out of nothing, he was there. If we're going off man of the match performance in this game, it is Foller and Balogun. Besides Foller and Balogun, because of Foller and Balogun, it would be Galindez, the goalkeeper for Ecuador. That's how dangerous he was. What I like best from the game was that when Ballot scored, you rarely see someone so unsatisfied to have just found the net once.

6:51The chin wanted that winner and his frustration was almost a highlight of the game for me. Diego Luna in that celebration was like just full on Diego Luna. He was like giddy AF. That's who he is. But when you look at that celebration, let's all read too much into celebration should be. Everyone else in that front line was just running right back to put that ball in the center circle and go again. that mentality. It's great mentality. And I'm so glad he got his goal. I really am. You want to reward the play. You want to reward what he's doing on the field. And as a nine, you don't go home happy if you don't get your goal.

7:24And he did so much. You think about the creation of the U.S. Men's National Team in that attack. And he was the focal point every single time. If he would have left without a goal, if they would have left 1-0 Ecuador win, I would have been happy with the performance. But there would have been a little shadow cast on the performance because you couldn't reward yourself with the goal he rewarded himself with the goal i think the group was happy for him and i think more than anything i don't want to say relief but it was more than him like finally i knew it god we need to talk quickly about western mckinney given a kind of free roll going forward substituted in the 63rd minute some nice flicks early on clint dempsey said post game he was quote fine where is he in the fully fit potch depth chart because in our imagination western is a giant who walks amongst us but that depth chart in and around his traditional deeper position and this new advanced position that he played on friday night you're there you got pulisic tillman testman zendejas who unfortunately is injured and is flowing home but was so tasty in the last window there were so many options but little clarity i'm so glad you brought up weston's depth chart because i think it's a different depth chart and let's let's address the elephant in the room here is that weston looks like a different player physically and he was talking to the TNT folks postgame and he said, hey, Juventus, Igor Tudor, they told me I'm getting older.

8:44I can't stay the same weight. I need to take care of myself. So he changed his diet. He looks like a slimmer Weston. Weston's always proven people wrong at his own rate, but the eye test to many when they first meet him, he doesn't pass. They want him to be healthier. They want him to be more professional. He seems to be more professional, but that depth chart in that five-man back line, if you're going to play five-man back line, it's a double pivot. You need two defensive midfielders. One of them has to be a hybrid, but they have to be disciplined. And one was Aiden Morris playing the Tyler Adams role.

9:14The other was Tanner Tessman, who I thought was brilliant. And he was very disciplined in the way he defended, but he provided something else in the attack. He knew when to go forward. He was disciplined. He wouldn't just attack and roam. Weston McKinney was asked to play as a double 10. It's not foreign to him. Last year at Juventus, for Cooper Miners, he played there. He played over a very good attacking 10. He played there, and he had a few games where he even scored some goals, and he was productive. But those aren't his best traits. You can't ask him to be creative in the final third and expect him to be the same player.

9:46He's a player who's very dangerous in the final third, arriving late from that midfield position, into the box late. He can be a benefit to you when he does that. I don't know if he's the key to unlocking defenses. There's a play. It's the goal. It's one of the only negative remarks I have about the U.S. men's national team in this game. When you and I spoke about Ecuador, I told you, Ecuador, there is one way they can hurt you. There is one player they can hurt you. And there is one way of going about that for them to hurt you. It was in transition with a 35-year-old enter Valencia, isolating defenders one-on-one.

10:22So he says 35. That man is Tim Reamy's seat. You thought that's that's easy. We'll just put them both in that kind of like, you know, 70 to 80 years bracket. I'm telling you, and they keep proving us wrong. And Valencia, we're going to see him at the World Cup and he's going to be. We're talking about Kylian Mbappe breaking World Cup records. And Valencia isn't too far off there. But we knew there was one way they would hurt you. And it was beautiful what we were seeing. It was Fogler and Balogun, heel flick to Malik Tillman, heel flick to Weston McKinney. And to no fault of Weston McKinney's.

10:53but Weston McKinney sees a lane for an oncoming run to slip a forward through. He tries to take it. There's an interception. And in that one interception, Ecuador with one pass eliminates seven players. Aiden Morris has to make an all or nothing lunge to try to block the lane. It becomes nothing. He can't get there. And immediately to Ender Valencia, who is isolated 1v1 with Chris Richards. And if you look at Andrew Valencia's beautiful touch, Chris Richards is facing one way. The moment he touches it, he spins him like a top, turns his back to the goal, and now Andrew Valencia's got a lot of pace where he finishes it off.

11:31And we can ask questions about Matt Freese. Should he have blocked or done better or not? I asked Casey Keller afterwards at ESPN. And Casey says, you know, that's a play that you, if he makes the save, great. But you can't ask too much of the goalkeeper. Maybe he said a more confident in form for sure number one in any other country would make that save. It wasn't Matt Freeze's night, and you're down 1-0 after playing very well. That would be my only thing is oftentimes a player in Weston's position that's foreign to that position sees that it's not the right moment to try to unlock the defense and doesn't slip that because he knows his team isn't in a good defensive posture.

12:15and maybe he holds that and maybe he circulates the ball a little bit more. He doesn't, it goes back down your throat. So we have this system. You've articulated it really well. Three-man back line. We've please got hungry wingbacks who can defend. A double pivot in midfield. I think when Potch says trust the process, I believe this is the process in this point. Do you like this formation? It's good against deep line teams like Ecuador and most probably Australia on Tuesday night, it does risk us leaving ourselves one man short in the midfield against a better, more ambitious team. And then they can just pin our fullbacks back.

12:54That's it, Roger. You just explained it. You have an extra center back. You're going to take somebody out of the midfield. That could be trouble. There are going to be games for the U.S. men's national team where you can exploit, because of the creative players you have in wing play, other teams, but they can exploit you as well. And if you're not careful, they can isolate defenders. The idea of a three center back system is so you combat another forward, another attacking player. If they only have one, if it's a transition team with one player, you don't need three in the back. You can easily have another central midfielder with the ability to slot in like that third defensive center back.

13:34or that now you're a defensive midfielder in that center back role, like a Rafa Marquez or Sergio Busquets in his time or Mascherano in his time. You can have players like that. Tyler Adams can fulfill that role. He's done it many times. Aiden Morris can fulfill that role. You have players who can do that. And you have extra protection in the center of the midfield, which most teams around the world would use to strengthen and control games. That's my worry here. You use formations and tactical setups based on the players you have. I can't right now say that's the formation you're going to play at the World Cup because I don't know who's healthy.

14:06I don't know who's going to be there. A month out of the World Cup, what if you don't have a Tim Ream? What if you don't have a Chris Richards? What if you don't have a Tyler Adams? This is going to change your setup. It's going to change the way you affect the team and the structure. So right now with the players you had today, I thought it looked good. I thought it looked very good attacking. I thought defensively they did very well, except for one lapse of judgment as a team. I think this is a formation that's going to get us out the group stage where we will play weaker teams. It is going to be fascinating.

14:38There's talk in 2026, those early friendlies against some truly awesome European foes. And it will be fascinating to see how the three at the back, if the three at the back holds up there. I want to look ahead to the Australia game in one second. Let me ask you this very quickly, though. So in this, I mean, we spent a lot of time last week talking to Tyler Adams, talking to Christian Pulisic about this steady diet of friendlies, which is the only road we can walk until the World Cup. You know, I asked them, do results matter? Should we be judged on results? This one was a draw. They were both like, yes, because they're bloody hyper competitive athletes.

15:14They want to win. They matter the game. But Herc, do results matter? They don't matter because there's no World Cup qualifying. You're not under you're not behind the eight ball. you're not going to go home or not make it to the World Cup you're getting there but they do matter because at some point the psyche of the team it's going to be important and thus far with this group in the lead up you mentioned it, you've lost to the Turquayas of the world, you've lost to the Switzerland's of the world, you couldn't beat the Ecuador's of the world those aren't exactly the France of the world the Argentinian's of the world those aren't the Portugal's of the world, the England's of the world.

15:55I mean, there's another team in there that I could add that could probably be a World Cup favorite. Those aren't those teams. The Spains of the world. If the goal is for a semifinal in the eyes of many, if the goal is a semifinal, I just named five. You're not in those five. And I just named another three you couldn't beat. Are you getting to the quarterfinals now? That's got to be worrying, but it's got to be a little assuring to the fan, a little bit more hopeful to the fan that you're starting to see some structure. You're starting to see some idea and you're starting to have hope because for the longest time, many fans were losing hope with Marisa Pochettino and this US men's national team.

16:34Yeah. I mean, Poch posted after the game, almost a slogan a day on the calendar motto. I think it's attributed to that old school business brain, Pete Drucker tagged the US men's national team account when he posted it. The full quote is culture eat strategy for breakfast means that no matter how brilliant your business strategy is. If your team culture isn't aligned or if it's toxic, your strategy will fail. Culture is the collective behaviours, attitudes, beliefs and values that drive a team. I think it sounds better when Al Pacino reads it. But when you saw that post, who was he aiming this at?

17:11Did it make you think of the Eunice Mooses, the Joe Scallies that seem to have been disguised along the way? Or was it a message to the players who were still there? Or somebody else entirely here? Or maybe all of the above, the press, the journalists who have questioned him, us in the media who asked questions of him. It felt a little premature. Post-game, Mauricio Pochettino, after a very good performance versus what I think is a very good Ecuadorian national team, a team that in World Cup qualifying conceded five goals in 18 matches, and you asked a lot of questions of them, a very well-coached team.

17:50he went on this little victory lap after a draw talking about i'm just so glad we're not talking about effort wanting to be here we're not we're talking about football we're talking about tactics and then eight hours later puts this on his instagram story i don't know who runs a social media account i'd like to think it's him but you just sat there and told us that culture wasn't what we should be talking about we should be talking about what we see on the field now you're telling us it's culture over tactics i i don't know what he's getting out of this this is a again a very good performance against a very good team but it seems premature so i'd love him to post tonight just the uh himself in the tim robinson hot dog soup we have trying to find the guy who did this um but let's move on to just at me bro just at me yeah we go again australia who on Friday night beat Canada 1-0 with some robust back line and some gritty play plus a goal from their 19-year-old star boy Nestori Irankunda.

18:57Watford player, second goal in two games. Their goalkeeper, Paul Izzo, pulled off a point-blank save to shut down. How dare he? Jacob Schaffelberg in the 90th minute to deliver a Socceroos 1-0 win. What kind of game are we in for? Something I would say similar to what we thought we would be in for with Ecuador, which would be a stingy back line. a very gritty defensive team. They're going to play five at the back. They're going to make it very difficult as they did for Canada. I think it was like 70 plus minutes. Canada didn't have very much until the ongoing goal by Australia. And finally, they showed a bit of urgency.

19:34I think this is going to be the same type of test. You're going to have three center backs. How can a Foller and Balogun or anybody else play in that nine position? Because I don't think it'll be two nines. I think it'll be one nine. how can you find options for the nine with three center backs how can you exploit them at certain times and how can you be smart we talked about the transition play from ecuador and for the most part you were ready for it but one play you weren't and that was the deciding play you had the better of the play against ecuador yet ecuador they still had about three four shots in that game and and one of those was was the the goal that could have really just sent you home if this is World Cup play, that's the one play that could send you home.

20:15I'm fascinated to see how much stays the same, how much change there is, where are we in the process? Are we testing the depth vertically? Are we testing the depth horizontally? Let me ask you these quick fire ones. Number one, does Hadji right start? I believe he starts. I think we're seeing a trend worldwide where there seems to be a battle between national team coaches, the national team programs and club teams, because players, the calendar is saturated and players are coming back a bit touched. They're coming back hurt. And I don't think Marisa Pochettino wants his players hurt. So I think we're going to see a bit of time handed to Haji Wright, as we should.

20:52I think he mentioned it. It'd be a shame for some of these players to come all the way here and not see time. So I expect Balogun to play, yes, but maybe not start. I think it's going to be Haji Wright time. And listen, Australia is a good test. I believe it's 12 games in a row now after Canada where they've not suffered a loss. It's a defensive gritty team. It's going to be a good test. Does Cameron Carter Vickers still? Man, I'd be very worried if I'm Cameron Carter Vickers and I don't start. I would be very worried. You've got to prove yourself and you've got to prove yourself soon because for most fans in a U.S.

21:23men's national team jersey that supports you, their lasting impressions of you was Copa America in that blunder of a game versus Panama. So I'm hoping Cameron Carter Vickers gets his run. And I would be very worried if I'm Cameron Carter-Vickers and don't get that run. There's another name that could probably see time as a center back that I would be very interested, very intrigued in the Tim Ream type of role. And that's James Sands. James Sands at St. Pauly has been doing very well in the Bundesliga. He's a very cerebral player. I could easily see him being the Tim Ream backup plan. Stay away from the golf carts, Cameron.

22:01It's all I'll say to you. What will the school be? If it's the same urgency, if it's the same desire and same type of setup as we saw against Ecuador, I could see 1-0 U.S. men's national team. Mile high in Denver. You're going to have altitude. It's going to be going your way against Australia, who, yes, is still a very good team, defensively gritty team, but it's going to be making a ton of changes. I think you can catch them and maybe surprise them, if you will. I'll go 1-0 the U.S. men's national team. I think we finally found an opponent where there will not be thousands and thousands of Australian-Americans just absolutely flooding and dominating the stadium.

22:42I agree with you. I think this game is winnable, Herc. I think win this one. This is a pivotal game, really. Win this game and the narrative around this team will change. It just will change dramatically coming out of this window, slamming into the double battle against Paraguay and Uruguay, all the Guays to come. It is fascinating to see how much of a lift is possible within touching distance for this team if they win. I think narratives, Rog, are important for fans. And you're coming off a window that saw the Mexican national team get humiliated in Arlington, Texas, by the Colombian national team.

23:15A Colombian national team was missing a ton of stars, almost an alternate squad. And here you are with a very good performance against the Ecuadorian national team, one of the best teams in South American World Cup qualifying. If you can put up another good performance, I think the mentality shifts for fans. I think they start jumping on board and wanting to support this team more and starts to maybe erode some of those bad performances that Mauricio Pochettino has had with this team because for a lot of fans, they'll say, well, those weren't our players. Those weren't the main players. These are the main players.

23:48So I think these type of performances are very important to change the narrative. I could not agree more. And God bless the poster on USMNT only who had us in the semifinals after the 1-1 draw of Ecuador. So if we beat Australia, finals or bust, baby, that's how it works. And I've got to tell you, me too, because I'm ready to be hurt again. Oh, Herc, you're a beautiful human being. Thank you. Appreciate it, Rog. Thanks for having me.

24:16Okay, here's Christian Pulisic. My guest today is a gent who's at the top of his game, going to Italy to unlock new levels like Stanley Tucci, but with a better right foot. It's been a joy to witness him sore at the San Siro this season, where his Serie A leading goal haul have AC Milan hovering near the top of the table, prompting the Guardian to write, quote, the best player for the best team in Serie A is an American. And not just an American, but he's the most important big game player the US men's team have created in the modern period. and here to break down the US, look forward to next summer's World Cup and possibly to discuss Italy's best cured meats.