Hour 2: Handicapping the NFC, Taylor Twellman Talks World Cup, plus LeBron Free Agency Update

21:53Rich Eisen:Taylor Twelman joining us here on the Rich Eisen Show. Our radio audience has just begun. We just chopped up on the Disney Plus side of things, that photograph that made it around social media of Jordan Pickford's water bottle about how he would handle each member of Argentina if they did get to a PK. But obviously, we didn't get to penalties at all. We didn't even get to extra time because stoppage time was Argentina time once again. How do they keep doing it, Taylor? How does that keep happening? I don't know, Rich. I really don't. To think that in the knockout stage, they have not led after 90 minutes.

22:34Rich Eisen:Hey, man, they're like the Knicks in the NBA Finals. Yeah. I mean, it's wild. Think about it. The game-winning goals have all come after the 92nd minute or whatever the number is. It's crazy to think about the amount of goals that they have scored after the 75th minute in this World Cup. There's just an extra 5%, Rich, that you cannot measure. You cannot quantify when you play with the greatest of all time. And what I've noticed with his time with Inter-Miami, and I've noticed now watching Argentina over the last, I would say, three or four years in World Cup qualifying, there's just an extra bit of energy, there's an extra bit of belief that you just can't quantify, and you have to play an absolute perfect 90-plus minutes to knock them out.

23:28We'll talk about what England did, but the belief they have with number 10 on their side, it's very difficult for me to articulate, for me to quantify, because Rich, you've been doing this a lot longer than me, my man. Sometimes sports, that little bit of extra, you just can't measure. Argentina's got that in spades.

23:50Rich Eisen:Okay, so there's a few things I want to hit on with you, but let's linger on Messi a little bit more here. that that um that cross with his right foot yeah over six english defenders seven well i mean i want to include pick for two right so seven right so um to find the one forehead he wanted to find i can't even fathom it no i mean i listen i put this out on my social media uh there's a picture right before he hits it. If you are just inside the 18, Rich, there's seven English defenders, Jordan Pickford, and four attacking players from Argentina. Four. And everyone and their mother thinks he's going to his left foot.

24:43And he delivers a ball over the head of John Stones, if I'm not mistaken in the picture, on an absolute dime for any attacking player. It's a dream ball, easy finish. It's wild. It's truly wild. Now, England, come on. You literally played into the hands of Lionel Messi. But Messi had everyone thinking he's cutting into his left in swinging ball. No, he goes to his right away from Pickford, catches everyone by surprise. And here we are talking about a comeback from Lionel Messi in Argentina where he delivers two assists with two wonderful goals, two completely different goals, and England's sitting there with their heads buried in their hands and maybe in the sand for how they played the final 30 minutes.

25:32But a brilliant ball. And listen, he's got over 800 assists in his career. You see why.

25:38Rich Eisen:Well, England's manager, let's get to that now, Taylor Tormund on the Rich Eyes show. After the three Lions score in the 55th minute, um what what was the strategy and you're already shaking your head is it 2020 hindsight or no walk me through it nope I I think I texted about 10 of my buddies that were watching the game and guys that just asked me and it's like 30 minutes left no way no way what he did is not wrong when he did it is absolutely unequivocally wrong and anyone that was watching the game knew that right away. And what's very interesting to me, two points to this. First and foremost, I just made the point he did it too soon.

26:22But second is way more important to me. After the Norway game, he criticizes the players. They win the game. They go through this battle. He criticizes the players that it's not good enough. They need to be better. Now, after this game, he thinks the question is completely unfair. He doesn't answer the question. And then he He deflects and says, no regrets. This is the best game and the only way we can play that game. Whoa, you cannot have your cake and eat it too. Thomas Tuchel was brought in very, very surprisingly for someone like myself and anyone in the world that I live in, a German manager coming in by the English FA because he was thought to be a step above tactically and understanding what it takes in those moments.

27:07And he did exactly what every previous English manager did. And that is scared money doesn't make money, Rich. You cannot do that. Why? Why would you have 14 % possession after you're up 1-0? You put all 11 players behind the ball. Harry Kane's playing on top of his 18-yard box. and you say to Messi, go float wide right. You're going to have all the time in the world to see the game and you're going to find the pass that you need to. I am stunned right now that the English FA has already come out basically and said Thomas Tuchel will be there in the European Championships in 28. I'm not sure, my man.

27:55I'm not. And it really bothers me, the ex-player in me, that you want to criticize me in the thick of the battle in Miami in the heat of the moment where we grind it out a win and say it's not good enough. But then when it's not good enough from you and the questions are tactically, you deflect and you say no regrets. There's no way, no way he gets away with that. And I don't think he will with the English media.

28:19Rich Eisen:I don't. Taylor Twelman here on The Rich Eyes Show. And I kind of think you're right. Again, I'm outside looking in observing from across the pond, as we say. uh Tuchel uh is being portrayed as the most unpopular individual in England since Braveheart you know that's what it looks like to me you know like Longshanks wants to get his hooks in him um and and I I don't know man and then a couple other things too uh Jude Bellingham who had an incredible world cup yeah what did he say to Messi you think that that no Messi this is now a new meme forever you know the the the nod of the head from Messi like okay young buck I hear you what do you think he said to him hey I'll be honest I've I don't know but I love it why I love it okay stand stand up if you're gonna do it try to I don't care who he is now keep in mind Jude Belliam Real Madrid player okay Barcelona Lionel Messi so naturally there's gonna be a rivalry and I love the fact that you show respect to Lionel Messi and all that, but if I'm going to roll up my sleeves for 90 minutes, I don't care who you are on the other side of the field, I'm going to try to beat your brains in.

29:36So whatever he said to me, that showed me Jude Bellingham was not scared of the moment. He was not scared of the opposition. He was ready for the moment, and he was brilliant in this World Cup. I don't think England's in the semifinal without Jude Bellingham, And the fact that four months before the tournament started, Thomas Tuchel was rumored of contemplating whether or not leaving Jude at home tells you how big of a you-know-what this is when it comes to Jude Bellingham, his interpretation, and his, I would say, reputation within this English team going into the World Cup. I don't understand that, and it still mind-boggles me a little bit.

30:18But he stood up to Messi, and he said something to Messi. Now, what's wild about this game, Rich, and I wanted to text you during it, and for some reason I got out, is all of the nonsense off the ball, right? It just felt like Argentina was doing all those little things to get under the English skin. And yet, we saw players talking with their mouth closed. That was supposed to be a red card. We saw players get hit. You belly him, hit an Argentine player. On the back of his head, any kind of head contact is a red card. It just felt like the World Cup semifinal that we all wanted, both on and off the field, if that makes any sense.

30:59There was a real angst to this. And you could tell that for a quarter century, Jude Bellingham, in his, I would say, collection of players in his age group, have heard how much they should hate Argentina. And we saw it. But Argentina was under their skin. and the referee allowed it just enough to get there. I don't think Jude Bellingham asked Lionel Messi for his autograph. I don't think he asked for his kid after the game. I secretly love it. But right now, the only thing that matters is we're interviewing Lionel Messi about the World Cup final, and Jude Bellingham has to deflect questions about his manager after that manager questioned him and the players after Norway.

31:44What a 180 degrees difference that is after the 60th minute.

31:48Rich Eisen:And on behalf of England fans, I mean, Argentina clocked an English player in like the fifth minute, sixth minute. Like he could have been sent off with a red card on the spot, changed the entire tenor of things. They didn't even VAR that. There's a lot of question about not VARing the first goal for Argentina. I mean, to your point, Rich, we never saw a still photo of whether or not Messi was onside. And throughout the entire tournament, we saw it. Even if he was a yard on side, they'd still show that. They never showed that. Right. They didn't. And then one last thing. Bellingham sort of not really love tapping Barco afterwards.

32:29Rich Eisen:Did you see the video? We saw it five minutes before today. Barco ran on the field like he was a streaker after the first goal, after the equalizer for Argentina. And I guess, you know, Bellingham didn't like that and went right up to him after the match. He was on fire, man. But no doubt frustrated. In fairness, though, in fairness, you're not on the field. Stay off the field. Well, why do they allow everybody in the pennies to run on the field anyway? I don't know. It's hard for me to completely – listen, you score a goal. You celebrate. Listen, Landon Donovan scored against Algeria in 2010.

33:04We all remember that goal. The entire U.S. bench was on top of him. It was a great moment. We saw Pochettino celebrate with Giovanni Reina in this world. I get it. I understand it. I also understand Jude Bellingham saying, you didn't play in this game. Stay in your place. I kind of get that, too. But the best interaction for me, truly, was Rodrigo DePaul. And I put this out on social media, the video. Rodrigo DePaul and Jude Bellingham in each other's face. And Rodrigo DePaul got the yellow card. Jude Bellingham didn't. If you didn't see it, go to my X feed. Rich, it's real. There is a real – and I said this before on your show on Tuesday.

33:44This is the most contentious World Cup rivalry. I'm not talking about rivalry in the game because England-Germany is a bigger rivalry. But in just World Cup play, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more angry, contentious rivalry between two teams, two countries, and their fans. And that was the first time Lionel Messi ever played England. And now he'll be doing naked somersaults in English fans and the English players' minds for the rest of the summer. because he delivered in the biggest moments.

34:17Rich Eisen:No doubt, Taylor Twelman. All right, so in the few minutes I have left here, I mean, it was such an epic match, an epic game, that we're kind of glossing over the fact that France got bounced and got totally pantsed. And you were saying to us on Tuesday's show that Spain wins death by 1 ,000 passes, and as soon as they got that break for a penalty kick early on in the match, which I didn't know really should have been properly awarded. That was a hard one. It's a hard one. But what do you make of that performance and how it would work against Argentina? I was a little surprised. I said on your show, I'd be shocked if France doesn't advance to the final.

34:56I was now, I'm way more stunned at how flat France was. Now, before I dive into the game, great nugget, though. You and I talked about this before the tournament started. How many games does one team play in climate-controlled stadiums? Spain has played six of their seven in climate-controlled stadiums. That's more than England, Argentina, and France. And they looked fresher. There was more energy. I'm not saying they would have won the game anyways. That game could have been played on the surface of the sun. Spain would outplay France. I'm not talking about that. But you follow what I'm saying.

35:29There was a real different energy. France looked slow, lethargic. They looked like the United States did against Belgium. They really did. Spain has been the best team in the tournament. Now, we haven't given them their proper due because in large part, it's not really star-driven. It's more about the collective. Lamin-Yemal hasn't really done anything in this tournament. But collectively, the way they suffocate you is unlike any other team in this tournament. And they look like they had France by the jugular, and eventually France lost oxygen, and they couldn't survive. Spain was brilliant, and they could have scored the team goal of the tournament if that backheel combination, all that, turns into a goal.

36:12Now, here's where this gets interesting for the final. Emotionally, the Spanish fan knows the magnitude of Lionel Messi and what he did in Spain and in Barcelona. Now, Spain beat England in the European Cup final in 2024. I think emotionally, the Spanish fan would have rather played the English. I really do. Because right now, including every Real Madrid fan, who probably can't stand Messi, naturally, because of the rivalry of Barcelona, but every other Spanish fan is going to look at that and go, oh God, really? Him? The guy that has single-handedly flipped our league upside down, set records for arguably the greatest club in the world?

36:56like which that is going to be an emotional roller coaster for the spanish fan and you and i both know new york new jersey stadium will be buenos ares on sunday three o 'clock in the afternoon it just will and good luck to spain and those fans because emotionally that's going to be very difficult for them to watch that little man that's run in their nightmares for how many years all of a sudden playing the final game he's ever played and it's a world cup final and it is not

37:24Rich Eisen:climate controlled and as a matter of fact as you know the the fires in canada there's a lot of smoke that's coming down from the north um turning a lot of american cities in the midwest and potentially even in new jersey on sunday into a smog and uh smoky environment and then you know in terms of yamin uh lamine yamal um messy could turn to him and say i'm your father I mean, I can't believe this picture This is not AI This is apparently This is real? No, it's real There was a lottery at Barcelona And Messi only did this Two or three times 2007, by the way This is great symmetry I played against Lionel Messi That season in Venezuela He wasn't even wearing number 10 for Argentina yet Okay?

38:17So for his mom and dad, Laminia Mall, to win a lottery where Messi only does this two or three times a year and you get that anointment, how do you want me to articulate? That's divinity at its finest. What is that?

38:35Rich Eisen:I saw that picture yesterday. I'm like, wait a minute. This is real? It's real. It's real. Unbelievable, dude. Cannot make it up. Bro. I love our chats, Taylor. so enjoy the game, enjoy the final I will be, you know, I'll hit you up during the game if there's any questions and then Monday show you're back here to chop it up with us, I really appreciate it bud, thanks Love being on my man, love being on, I love having you That's Taylor Twellman here, we got through our first of many World Cup chats without a hydration break, we just break through it, because there's too much to talk about man Fox is pissed, no commercials No, it's okay.

39:15Rich Eisen:But listen, man. Double box. I love it. He loves Bellingham's moxie. He had a great tournament. Well, I mean, go right at him. Yeah. Loves it. I still can't believe that cross, that pass, finding the one lid he has to find. And he intended to do it. How do you do that? How do you do it? I don't know. It's unreal. It's the best. And I just love Taylor's passion and knowledge in the combination. He's our favorite guest on this subject matter and all of them. It's just so much fun. And that picture is so unbelievable. I'm so glad we got IVs next to each other at the American Century Championship.

40:01Rich Eisen:I ought to set it all up. All right, let's take a break here on the Rich Eisen Show. Back with your phone calls and more in a moment. Rich Eisen here for gusto. After all these years talking to athletes, coaches, entertainers, and people at the top of what they do, one thing is pretty clear. Success usually depends on getting the details right. For small business owners, that includes payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, you know, the work that keeps everything moving, even if it's not the reason you started the business in the first place. That's why there's Gusto. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses.

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41:49Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast. A particular individual has taken the stage at Fanatics Fest. His name is LeBron James. Now, Dave McMenamin came on this program just yesterday and said he was flying to New York. from a lengthy stint at the Summer League in Las Vegas. Right. Even though he would love to just tap out, hang with his wife, who we all know, Malika Andrews, and just be after a long stretch. But LeBron has this whole thing of, you know, free agency going on for himself, biding his time. and he said he had how many four public appearances in new york this week various things that he's doing and the first one is today at fanatics fest and did he mention you chris did something happen uh dave is out there in the crowd uh ron doing a mind the game live pod okay that's his pod yeah we've been on those stages and uh Dave's out there kind of live tweeting what's going on.

43:04And Mike, if you got it, you can throw it up there. LeBron just played with the crowd a bit as to his decision. Quote, I hear the Warriors. I hear the Sixers. Also referenced our segment where I suggested the Heat would be a play-in team if he went there. And James would be a non-factor.

43:21Rich Eisen:So we don't know how he's referenced it. We don't. So it's the verbal version of 22 laughing my ass off him. I'm guessing that's what happened. Yeah.

43:34that it's still on chris i gotta get that you are you're you're tough to shake man you're tough to shake i really thought we had moved past this in the news cycle

43:44Rich Eisen:on something else tj tj yes this is good for you though this is what makes me happy first of all spell the show's name right that most importantly i would like dave maybe i should text him he should at the handle. He could tag us. You know? Yeah. That's okay. He's going fast. He's live tweeting kind of everything. So this is a cliffhanger for hour three. We got to get the sound. We got to get it. I'm sure it's out there. Why'd you say it was good for me, though? Because you... Well, you push back. You push back. We know how this works, right? This is just human beings. You could have a thousand great comments praising you, but you're always going to look for the one negative.

44:29So even though you and I were positive for him, he don't care about that. It's the

44:34Rich Eisen:negative comment. That's not true. That's life. He's not going to come out and say, I appreciate TJ Jefferson pointing out I have an average 21 points in name, or I appreciate Rich Eisen pointing out that my performance got the Lakers to the second round, despite the injuries that ravaged the roster. I would love for him to point that out at Fanatics Fest, but instead, he does remember the negative. i understand that but that's that's just you being you you get in there and you're like costanza chris brockman yeah exactly i think i'm going to respond to dave's tweet with 22 crying emojis you could do that i reposted it on rx but i'm looking here and you're laughing but not your ass off well i wish i wish it would go away but why do you want it to go away you believe what you said.

45:23Rich Eisen:This wasn't like an overreaction Monday segment where you're kind of... Because it's not the first time you've said that. I don't think Miami is going to be good next year. You said good luck being good luck. I hope he enjoys the playing tournament. And you said that we all need to get ready for him to be, you know... He's a non-factor. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app, The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

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