Mexico off to a winning start - can USA and Canada handle the pressure?

0:00Is agentic AI a change agent or an agent of chaos? What happens to sports when AI levels the playing field? And why does customer service still suck? Find out at Workflow, ServiceNow's new hub for AI insights that rise above the slop. Discover research and perspectives that help you walk into every room a step ahead. Crafted for leaders like you. Dig in at servicenow.com slash workflow.

0:27This episode of the Totally Football Show is brought to you by Hotels.com. When you're booking a hotel, here's a simple question. Why wouldn't you use Hotels.com? It really is all in the name. As a member, you save up to 20 % on hundreds of thousands of hotels around the world and earn rewards on every single stay, which means the trips you're taking now help pay for the ones you're already dreaming about. And unlike some other places, there are no blackout dates, so when you want to travel, your rewards are ready to go. So whether you're following your team across North America this summer or planning a well-earned escape to make up for being glued to the football for weeks on end, make sure you book on thehotels.com and start earning rewards.

1:06Because when it comes to hotels, it's simple. Hotels.com. It's all in the name.

1:15Marketers, no matter what pitch you play on, a big win feels the same. Electric. It's that moment when you read the play before the trend even starts Beat the clock on a campaign with a little help from AI And connect with customers in real time like you've trained for it your whole career That's Contentful World-class digital experiences built fast, built beautifully Create and launch personalized content in an instant Across every channel your customers are watching No chaos, no limits, just open field Take your shot at contentful.com Hey, it's World Cup USA, and we're out here in LA in our own tribute to a Love Island set to talk about some hot matches and people scoring around the fire pit.

2:00To wit.

2:05Today, there's MEX, El Tree Bears Fruit, against South Africa. There's Chex, South Korea, against the lean and leathery Thomas Socek & Co. And there's next with Friday's action, USA Paraguay and Canada against the curse of Drake. Thursday night in Los Angeles, Friday morning in the UK. Many thanks for joining us here on Totally Football Show at the World Cup, whether it's on YouTube or in podcast form. Once again, today we are joined by Tom Williams. Hello, Tom. Hello, James. And by Duncan Alexander. Hello, Duncan. Hello, James. What a spiffing shirt you're wearing. Yeah, bit of Mexico away, 98.

2:43it's a glorious shirt where did you get it from uh ebay ebay well i didn't get it from ebay but um ebay provided our friends at ebay our friends at ebay yeah all right lovely to see you both you've left a bit of a gap in the middle because various other people are going to be leaping onto that sofa as the evening progresses megan ferringer will be here to talk about usa ahead of their big game against paraguay we'll also have phil hay in because he's currently watching I think Duncan is that right? He's currently watching the South Caribbean He is I can see I can see his head and I can see him looking towards a football game Excellent well that bodes well for later on It was day one today it still is in Guadalajara as those two teams face off How was your day one Tom?

3:28Yeah good like it's here Yeah at last after all the build up the World Cup has begun You like to read Le Keep of a morning and they had an interesting article today saying can football save this world cup after all the controversies the debates over the weather and the immigration issues and the various other problems could the football make it all worthwhile your verdict on day one well it's early days having only seen one game so far but yeah i mean you know promising okay first game was decent we had some goals we had some red cards we had a bit of controversy? I think the build-up's been so long and involved and as you say so many controversial things that it actually felt quite therapeutic to see the team sheets drop and be like oh it's actually beginning and I think having it start at the Azteca was was special you know the light there was amazing and just seeing that sort of stadium and remembering all the great moments that have happened there particularly in World Cup history that kind of just I think washed away, not all, but some of the woes that led up to this tournament.

4:36We'll get into what happened at the Azteca very shortly, but briefly, a moment of the day for you, Tom. Going to go for Raul Jiménez, scoring his first ever World Cup goal at his third World Cup, second goal to put Mexico 2-0 up against South Africa, and then a really emotional celebration. Of course, he lost his father in March, and so he clearly had a thought for him after scoring, got quite tearful and scoring in the Mexico shirt in the national stadium in the first game of the World Cup that they're hosting. Pretty special moment. Very nice, Tom. What about you, Duncan? Well, we were watching the coverage on Fox and they were very keen in a game that had many red cards to kind of note how many players each team had left.

5:26So for a long time, South Africa were down to 10 and Mexico still had 11. But then South Africa had a second red, and it was like, you know, will the software cope with this? And there was a countdown within our watching party, and it did work perfectly, down to nine. And then it got, when Mexico went down to ten, it looks good there. I think it actually, it worked, but it looked a little bit odd when it was just one side. Well, the reaction when we realised that it was a permanent thing, because sometimes, you know, a player is sent off and something will flash up briefly to let you know that there's been an expulsion.

5:58But then this just stayed for the whole game, which we felt was slightly unnecessary. I mean, I would have liked to see them apply it to the infamous Sheffield United-West Brom game that got abandoned due to lack of players. I imagine that too. You'd run out of screen room, really. You wouldn't be able to see the pitch at that point. The other thing about, certainly the second he had acquired, I think it was Swanee who got the set off, leaving his team up, the Swanee in many ways, was that the referee, of course, mic'd up, then has to make the announcement, which is a little bit unfair if somebody's not confident about their English to then address 80 ,000 or whatever the capacity of the Azteca currently is, and indeed a worldwide audience.

6:35And the faces of the Brazilian referee wasn't the most comfortable with it, leaving the South African players completely bemused by what the decision was. Eventually, they understood that they were down to nine. I mean, I think the referees announcing decisions to the stadium is stupid already. When you add the complication of referees having to do it in a language that they're obviously not completely comfortable with, it just makes it even more stupid. And it's produced all this very memeable content. The face your dad makes in a shop on holiday abroad. Like, what? But it was a bit unfair. As if the referee didn't have enough to worry about.

7:12The other thing to mention about the viewing experience in the States, certainly in Fox, is quite how many adverts one David Beckham is. Astonishing. We counted six different brands, six different commercials, often running back-to-back within the same commercial break, often in the middle of a game of football as well, where the action is taking part. But it's incredible. Yeah, remarkable. I mean, obviously you see him in adverts on British TV every now and again, but he is everywhere. I mean, did the people of America want that much David Beckham? I don't know. Well done to him. They're getting it, yeah.

7:45Okay, very good. that's enough red hot viewing experience in america chat on the ad break i just say yes the hydration breaks yes i'm conscious that we're getting a different viewing experience to the folks back home because i don't think that they are necessarily going to ad breaks when the hydration breaks begin really but on fox they are and i absolutely hated it to be to be in the middle of watching a football match and just be thrown to an ad break and then not only that but But at one point they came back from an ad break and they missed some of the game. Yeah, I feel that that was probably somebody at the stadium who shouldn't have queued them on.

8:23Oh, yeah, the players have got to just wait for the advertisements to finish. But I mean, it was interesting to essentially see a football game split into four quarters. Because that's what it feels like now. Interesting slash terrible. And I thought the Mexico game had three good quarters. One, two and four were excellent quarters. Three wasn't great. Well, let's talk about the four quarters of Mexico against South Africa. 2-0 for El Tri. And let's get into that now. Opening match of this World Cup at the Azteca. Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0. Nine minutes in, we got it. First goal of this World Cup, courtesy of Julian Cuniones.

9:03Tom, tell us about Julian Cuniones. Colombia-born, naturalised Mexico international. who finished as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League last season above a certain Ivan Toni. And a certain him. And also a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. Pretty scruffy goal for South Africa to concede. Yaya Sitole had an afternoon to forget. An afternoon he needed like another H in his name. Well, yeah. He was robbed of the ball on the edge of his box. Canonia scores between the goalie's legs and then Sitole later got sent off as well. I think they called it. Mexico. That's what happened. All right. And South Africa did that quite a lot, trying to play out from the back, and Mexico kept on pouncing.

9:50Cetoli's afternoon got even worse subsequently, Duncan. Yeah, in second half, Brian Gutierrez, who Jack Lang suggested would be effective for Mexico in this tournament, ran through on goal. Doesn't have the most pace, but he was clever enough to cut across Cetoli, who got tangled up with him. And yeah, it was a pretty blatant red, I'd say. I mean, a few people argued that, you know, Gutierrez sort of played for it. But I think, you know, when you're brought down like that, it was fair enough. Okay. Raul gets the second goal then for Mexico. And Tom, you've already spoken about how moving the scenes were there in his fourth World Cup, getting his first goal at the competition for El Tri.

10:33And then we have more red cards. So how many red cards in total? Three. the total number of red cards at the last World Cup in the entire competition was four. And in the previous World Cup was four. Not to alarm you, but there is a skunk in the garden. Seriously. There's a skunk in the garden. How alarming is that? Well, I don't know how... Just keep talking. Just keep talking. How close is it? It's not on my head or anything yet, is it? It's alright. It's turning rapidly. but that's fine it's going the other way no it's just it's gone I don't have ever seen a skunk before but it wasn't at the zoo but it's demonstrably a skunk yeah demonstrably a skunk alright okay nobody nobody startled a skunk nobody panicked it's alright Ben's gone to chase it into recording I've got to say thanks producer Ben for that skunk handling Duncan we were talking before yes you were about to tell us how many red cards there'd been but I think Duncan did I think you were distracted by the skunk I have to say, when you're watching football, it's not that unusual to have a bit of skunk in the background in Los Angeles.

11:44I'm not saying, but, you know, you walk the streets. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Duncan, red cards. Yeah, red cards. Let's give the skunk a red card. Yeah, four in the last tournament. Four in the previous tournament, 2018. And three in this game alone. So was it the dirtiest opening game of all time? No. Yes. Well, no. Statistically. It depends how you class these things, right? Okay. On numbers, yes. The last red card felt like an avoidable red card. I don't think it was a dirty game. It was a clumsy game, I'd say. But I think, yeah, statistically, it's the first opening game in the history of the World Cup to have three red cards.

12:24We obviously talked about Cameroon, Argentina last night, which had two, and now we've surpassed that. But, yeah, I think the record number of red cards in a world cup is 28 in 2006 really yeah i think we might be on to break that all right that's one to keep an eye on and i wonder what kind of graphics that might accompany that on a fox sports the interest in the second half with mexico 2-0 up and and south africa man down then began to focus on when hilberto mora the bright young 17 year old prospect for mexico would make his entrance and light up would have become a slightly static affair when he did come on what did you make of him Tom?

13:03Yeah he didn't do a huge amount but it was really exciting he's the youngest player at the tournament 17 years old and there's you know it's it's not a world cup until the first wonder kid shows up and he showed up in in the first game and you you sense the excitement in the stadium when they saw him on the touchdown when they realized he was about to come on and he looked you know he looked like he wanted to get on the ball obviously technically very skillful player I think at that phase of the game because Mexico are in complete control in the third quarter in the third quarter um you know there's not going to be a huge amount of space uh but yeah he looked lively they brought him on at the right time because in the third quarter um they had gone into a bit of a lull particularly after the first red card and the crowd were getting quite het up until the jimenez goal yeah it did it did get a bit flat and it reminded me that because that often happens with england games um and i was like oh yeah other countries do that as well at tournaments.

13:58Overall, what did you think of Mexico? Good. Yeah? Yeah, they'll be really happy. I mean, with the way the format of this World Cup, they're kind of through now. So, well done, Mexico. But I think they, you know, it's important to get off to a good start there. They kind of, they've got the momentum of the crowd now. I think the atmosphere, Jack Lang wrote about being drenched in beer when the first goal went in. And he was in the press box. Yeah. So, you know, for laptop fans, not a good day. for fans of host nations maybe progressing through a tournament a very good day Talk more about host nations progressing or not Very very shortly the next game for Mexico is against South Korea as we mentioned are in action this evening as well that'll be next Friday we'll touch on what happens in that game soon enough when Phil Hay joins us any thoughts about Mexico before we move on Tom?

14:51No? No No We'll wait for the second game Yeah We'll wait for South Korea Yeah. I mean, obviously, there's always huge pressure on the host nation. And it's difficult sometimes coming up against an underdog. They can be very frustrating matches. Fortunately for Mexico, South Africa was so careless with the ball that it actually kind of opened the door for them. All right. As you say, huge pressure on the host. Next up, we'll talk about what awaits USA and Canada in their opening games on Friday, right after we have this hydration break. This episode of the Totally Football Show is brought to you by Hotels.com.

15:28When you're booking a hotel, here's a simple question. Why wouldn't you use Hotels.com? It really is all in the name. As a member, you save up to 20 % on hundreds of thousands of hotels around the world and earn rewards on every single stay, which means the trips you're taking now help pay for the ones you're already dreaming about. And unlike some other places, there are no blackout dates, so when you want to travel, your rewards are ready to go. so whether you're following your team across North America this summer or planning a well-earned escape to make up for being glued to the football for weeks on end make sure you book on the hotels.com and start earning rewards because when it comes to hotels it's simple hotels.com it's all in the name

16:12miss calls and slow follow-ups are silent killers that's how businesses leave money on the table without ever even realizing it and that's why today's episode of the totally football show is brought to you by Quo, spelt Q-U-O, the business communication system built so you never miss a call. Quo works wherever you are, right from your phone or computer. Keep your existing number, add teammates in minutes, sync your CRM and let the call routing handle itself as you scale. But Quo isn't just a phone system, it's a smart one. AI automatically logs calls, generates summaries and flags next steps so nothing falls through the cracks and it can even qualify leads or respond after hours so your business stays on even when you're off.

16:49money's on the line so always say hello with Quo. Try Quo for free plus get 20 % off your first six months when you go to Quo.com slash totally football that's Quo.com slash totally football with no spaces. One last time Quo.com slash totally football.

17:13And now another appliance triumph from our friends at Grand Appliance. With two dogs, every wash load came out covered in fur. I went into Grand Appliance looking for a fix, and they recommended the Maytag Top Load with Pet Pro Hair Removal System. They had it in stock and installed it days later. And you know what? It really works. Lint rollers are a thing of my past now. Great recommendations from the appliance experts. Shop grandappliance.com. Grandappliance.com. Break. I mean, I don't think it was offside to begin with, really. And then they come out of the break and they miss part of the action.

17:50Welcome back. So, coming up on Friday, we've got USA and Canada in action. USA, so much expectation around the USMNT. Canada, though, possibly going a little bit under the radar so far. Could they? Copper America semi-finalists, of course. Last time that competition was staged. Could they be the ones to spring a surprise? Well, to find out a little bit more, earlier today I spoke to Joshua Cloak. Joshua thank you so much for joining us so is Friday the day that Canada don't lose a game at the World Cup for the first time ever yes I've been told I have to be more confident and forthcoming with my opinions instead of just being a typical diplomatic peace peacemaking Canadian I think that the expectation here for this Canadian team is that a draw is attainable, right?

18:45You look at Bosnia, you look at the way they play, you look at the fact that Canada will be at home. A draw, even though a draw probably isn't something that, you know, sways the entire country and grabs them and then catapults this national team into like, you know, mainstream consciousness. I think people need to understand that, you know, a nil-nil draw, which is my exact prediction, is really good for the tournament as a whole, for Canada's tournament as a whole. So will they lose? No. Will they win? Not so sure yet. Okay. Recent records do back up your prediction, not surprisingly. A lot of clean sheets of late for Canada, not so much on the goal scoring front but the record of the canadian side is perhaps the best of the three host nations for this workout we slightly downplayed their their prospects in our preview show but why could why could canada go deep in this tournament can i ask why you guys downplayed it first ignorance probably uh kind of historical bias but when you look at the results that canada have had this current eight-match unbeaten run, one defeat in 15, beating USA twice, once on American soil in that run.

20:04Colombia, Ecuador, Ukraine also defeated by Jesse Marsh's side. Also reaching the semifinal of the last Copa America. That's huge. Yeah, but the key there, like you said, is this team does struggle to score. And this is very much, you know, evidence that Jesse Marsh's philosophy has really taken hold with this team. He would rather win, you know, 1-0 than win 4-3, right? This Canadian side is compact defensively. They're aggressive defensively. They're reliable and intelligent defensively. But it's interesting now that the World Cup is here, so much of the talk around this team is whether or not they're going to be able to score enough.

20:50To the point that Jesse Marsh, when he gets asked about it as of late, He kind of scoffs. He insists he's not going to take any negative questions about the team's lack of goal scoring. I think this is probably a few things. And it's not as if this Canadian team can't score. Kyle Lahren was in the form of his life with Southampton before the World Cup. Jonathan David is Jonathan David, right? He's still a Juventus forward, even if the form has been slightly up and down lately. uh promise david is you know six foot four monster in the box he's the type of forward that a lot of teams um don't have um you wonder if it's simply a matter of the moment getting very big and the idea that um who's going to be the first canadian to score on home soil right and i say that you know you watch canada ireland their final tune-up game once canada got into the final third there was too much hesitance for me right there was too much of one more pass there was too much waiting on the shot when Canada do very well to get into the box it's just that that clinical finishing um that really kind of for lack of a better term that stomp on the throat mentality that Canada need to have in the attacking third um that's what's been lacking lately uh again just because as I kind of mentioned off the hop I've never been here before never been in a home world cup there's there's these variables that are difficult to prepare for and Canada have been talking about this upcoming game against Bosnia as if it is and it is the biggest game in Canadian soccer history it's been played up so much that I think that is starting to impact the way that they play in the final third.

22:40Joshua one last thing something you've covered extensive extensively on the athletic Canada flirting with danger by engaging Drake to design or co-design their track suits the Drake curse is notorious is it real is it going to be a factor it's real and it's spectacular the Drake curse I'm I'm a firm believer in the Drake curse there's just too much evidence we've got more than a decade's worth of evidence um and look Canada in a way have fallen victim to the Drake curse before. Like I was in the stands in Qatar for their first World Cup game and they took to the field, you know, with Drake started from the bottom playing over the loudspeakers in Qatar, which was a strange experience on its own.

23:27But, you know, my understanding is Alphonso Davies and the team made sure that played when they came out and then they lost and then they lost the next game and the game after that. You know, Canada met, or a few players on Canada met with Drake during qualifying in 2022. They went to a Toronto restaurant to meet with him after they beat Panama. So you have a few instances here of Canada already falling victim to the Drake curse. But talking to players about it, they don't believe in it. And I think, you know, the home World Cup supersedes, you know, the NCAA Final Four. It supersedes the college football championship when the Drake curse has taken effect.

24:13I think these players, as brazen as it might sound, they feel the World Cup is the perfect opportunity to break the Drake curse once and for all. And we'll see. You love the Canadian braggadocio. You really do because it's so rare. So you love to see it. Joshua Cloak. We're joined now by Megan Ferringer. Hi, Megan. Hi. Lovely to see you. Thank you. Just hearing about the Curse of Drake there. Is that something you're familiar with? Yeah. No, it's definitely an epidemic throughout sport. People fear it. Canada feel it's worth braving it to sport those particularly fire warm-up suits. What do you think, Duncan?

24:55I mean, they're nice suits in a World Cup full of good anthem jackets, as some call them in the game. But, I mean, I'm just worried about Rhys James. He's someone who did suffer from the Curse of Drake, so, you know, and he's obviously a key player for England so it's a big worry all right Drake the last thing you want turning up probably up there with skunks I think in terms of intrusions you least want I mean yeah yeah yeah I mean yeah if you're a professional football team what is the worst sight a skunk walking into your changing room or Drake I don't know because I must admit I felt reasonably calm when you flagged out the presence of said creature if I told you it was Drake you would have been out of here like a shot but duncan as ever ready to hand with the facts reveals that if you get sprayed by a skunk you will stink of skunk for your entire life i think so are you backtracking now duncan no now it's on the record well i think i definitely heard it somewhere maybe it was an anti-skunk all right but megan who is our local flora and fauna expert suggests that that might not actually be the case right it might not be a lifetime okay What is a lifetime?

26:06But in your soul, you'd carry it. You'd know when you look at yourself in the mirror that you've been skunked. I believe that's the term they use. Bosnia-Herzegovina are the opponents for Canada who won't be able to field Alphonso Davies for this game or indeed looks like pretty much the entire group stage. If they need him for the final game against Switzerland, then maybe he'll be used then. I think the thinking is very much that they're keeping him back for round of 32, round of 16, etc. this game against bosnia hezegovina a little bit heartbreaking from our perspective tom because this could have been canada against wales it could have been canada against italy can you imagine but then again when you think back to the wonderful scenes in sarajevo when this nation bosnia hezegovina three million inhabitants when they qualified for a workup for the second time you can't help but root for them a little bit and that that magnificent uh banner that they had in that key game against Italy.

27:01Yeah, I mean, even the game in Cardiff when they beat Wales in the semi-final, the fans were absolutely fantastic. And it is hard to begrudge a nation like Bosnia, you know, having their moment in the sun. And they're a very obdurate team. I mean, you know, Wales went ahead. Bosnia hadn't really showed a great deal. Edin Dzeko barely touched the ball. And you're just getting to the point of thinking, oh, it's all right. We've kept the danger man quiet. and then he pops up with three minutes to go, nods in the equaliser, they went on penalties, and then go and do the same thing against Italy. It's great to have a team at the World Cup who've got a striker in their 40s who can still score goals.

27:40So yeah, I'm looking forward to that. There you go. By the way, in skunk news... Oh yeah, he's not letting it go. The smell can last up to three weeks on people, but it can actually last for months. If you don't wash ever. No, you need a special chemical. Also, were you to die in the space of those three weeks, it would last a lifetime. And you might. You might slip over. All these things are possible. That would be a shame. I've got another fact. I see your skunk news and raise you a fact about the Bosnia-Herzegovina manager, Sergei Barbaras, who was a professional player. After finishing his playing career, he spent six years as a professional poker player before taking up this job.

28:18Isn't that interesting? That is interesting. Anyway, what else is interesting? USA Paraguay. Joshua there was talking about the game against Bosnia-Herzegovina being the biggest game in Canadian football's history. How does tomorrow's opener here in Los Angeles for the USMNT, how does that rank? I'd say probably up there. I wouldn't say it's the biggest one of the US's history, but it's important. And I think the expectations going into this tournament are huge. And they're kind of in tension with each other, really. I mean, if you were following the US men's national team for the last couple of years under Pochettino, there's been a lot of sort of highs but there's been plenty of lows and I think the expectations actually going in were pretty tempered but then in the last couple months they've skyrocketed and it's because of the excitement of going into a tournament as host but also it's sort of looking at it through the prism of being America in a sporting context like it's almost anathema for an American to go into a tournament and think oh you know it'd be really fun to make to the quarterfinals but like not make the final.

29:19So USA made the last 16 in 94 last time the World Cup was here and this is a better side than that one would you say Megan yeah I'd say so I mean it's why we consider this team a golden generation but one of the reasons we do is because these players are playing out in Europe and they're playing in teams who are competing for trophies and and there is a lot of excitement around it but then at the same time it's worth remembering we didn't make it to the 2018 World Cup we were out we were out last World Cup in the last 16 very much outclassed by the Netherlands and so there is a lot of hope and a lot of expectation But I do think, too, realistically, it's still going to be a struggle for this team.

29:54OK, just seeing a picture here, a player you're particularly excited to see in action against Paraguay if he's selected. And that's Florian Balogon. Yeah, yeah. He's been I mean, it's been so fun to see kind of the fight to keep him and to make him American. I mean, we went sort of full college football or college sport, if you will. Like we had players and fans sort of trying to convince him to become an American soccer player. I think the Orlando Magic even convinced him to come down to Florida and get like courtside seats to come and watch the game. It was very much like you have to represent the States.

30:25I mean, he's also just a really exciting player and someone that we probably haven't had of like a caliber of player in quite a long time. And so there's going to be a lot of excitement, but also a lot of pressure on his shoulders to deliver. Okay. Follerin, isn't it? Follerin. I call him Florian. No, it sounded all right. All right. Okay. Follerin Balogun. We'll tweak it afterwards. No one will know. Okay. At Monaco, his form last season for them was fabulous. Yeah, he was fantastic. Particularly the second half of the season, he scored in eight consecutive Ligue 1 games towards the end of the season.

30:55At a time when Monaco were really struggling for form, it was his best goal-scoring season since his first season at Haas when he really kind of broke onto the scene. And he's struggled a little bit since then, had a lot of injury problems, a lot of shoulder injury problems in particular. Wasn't always a regular starter for Monaco, but has hit his best form over the last few months and in particular scored a beautiful goal against Marseille again towards the end of the campaign with a little chip from the edge of the penalty area. So a striker right on top of his game, full of confidence. And with Christian Pulisic really struggling to score goals over this last season, he could be an absolutely key player.

31:34Megan, expectations for USMNT, where are people hoping they get to? quarterfinals is sort of the word that everyone has thought like that's the one that they're going to get um i personally think if we get to the last 32 we've done really well and if we get anything past that i think it's a testament to the team i think it's a testament to what pochettino is sort of created under like under his his watch and i think too it's about sort of that last time that we they played paraguay right it was about bonding it was about fighting for each other and i think that was a criticism that was levied at this team quite often by former players that they didn't want it enough.

32:10They didn't have enough heart. And that game was kind of, I think, a turning point for a lot of people to realize, hold up, maybe they do want this. So this was the clash, a friendly game? A friendly game that was sort of friendly only in a technical sense. In November 2025, not what, eight months ago. Yeah. And what happened? So it was towards the end of the game. The fracas broke out because one of the, the ball went out of play and people were trying to take it away from each other. And yeah, one of the players was held into a chokehold and all the US men's national team players rushed to kind of his defense.

32:40Even the goalkeeper kind of came out of his 18-yard box to get involved. And it was probably the first... Even Pochettino, I think, got involved. Yeah, Pochettino got involved. He slipped and then the other coach had to kind of help him up. Oh, nice. Yeah, I mean, so maybe they were a little friendlier than everyone else. But it was a moment where it felt like the players are really bonding together. And I think, again, going back to sort of the criticisms, it was that they didn't have the heart, they didn't have the desire, but also maybe this was a team of individuals, which is also something that is very American.

33:09This idea that we're a very individualistic country, which is why we can't click on the soccer field, which is why we're probably better in individual sports and stuff. And so this idea that they were coming together in this big moment of camaraderie, it was a very big moment for them. How excited are you about Friday's game, Megan? I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm trying not to let myself get negative. And I'm full of hope, but also entirely nervous. Do you think the crowd can play a part? Because obviously, historically, sometimes the US team plays in front of quite quiet crowds. I think recently, they've been a bit more, a bit more vocal.

33:45What do you reckon that's gonna play out? Yeah, I think I mean, potentially on the pressure side, I think. And that's what Pochettino was saying in his press conference was that he wanted them to play like children with no responsibility and no pressure. And I think that was actually him saying, you're probably not used to playing under these kind of blinding lights and this sort of crushing pressure so please don't let it get to you he didn't want them to go onto the emotional side but I think inevitably it will you're a host nation you're playing at this world cup and they'll feel the pressure not only to deliver on the pitch but that legacy impact you know if they do well soccer could potentially become a fundamental sport here if they don't do well Megan I don't want to think about it really okay wow that that dramatic I mean soccer is a sport that's still trying to grow and I think the impact with the men's national team proving themselves and showing that this is a sport that has potential, but also potential for young kids to feel like they've got the capacity to go and compete for real silverware.

34:40That's huge. And if a little boy or little girl is watching this thinking, I can't do that, but if I go play in the NBA or the NFL, I can go look at all these amazing people. Right. Pretty talented kid. Yeah, they can play whatever sport they want. Excellent. Oh, by the way, USA taking on Paraguay in the late game on Friday. Pocitos, hairdo, yay or nay? Duncan? Yay? Going back 90s style, I like it. All right, Megan? Yay. Tom? Yay, yeah. Yeah, I think so. I think it's fair enough. I think if I had hair, I'd be wanting to go back to the 90s, you know, glory days. So I can't knock Potch for having done the same.

35:17Very good. Also, too, if he wants to hide, he could just pull the curtains in and then doesn't have to see what happens. It's practical and stylish. What a photo that would be. I don't agree with the knotted pullover. No, that's poor. So it's a bit preppy, isn't it? US MNT facing Paraguay. Tom, you're going along to the game. Yeah, looking forward to it. All right. Tell us a little bit about Paraguay beyond their feistiness. So Paraguay qualified in sixth place in South American qualifying, the lowest ranked team to qualify. But they pulled off some really impressive results. They beat Argentina and Brazil and Uruguay.

35:54You know, pretty tough, battle-hardened unit. the lowest average possession of all the South American teams to have qualified Lowest scoring, I think Yeah, very low scoring high percentage of goals from set pieces and yeah, we'll have the memory of that slightly fractious November friendly in mind, I'm sure Unfortunately, big injury that over Julio Enciso who Premier League watchers will know Goal of the season, man of former goal of the season fame. He was taken off with a suspected hamstring injury in their most recent friendly against Nick Raiglis. There's a big doubt over him, but Diego Gomez of Brighton will almost certainly be starting.

36:39Okay. US's most recent friendly was the 2-1 defeat to Germany, which I think was Germany's ninth straight victory under Julian Nagelsmann, but did feature, at least from the US side, a wonderful goal from Anthony Robinson. Yeah, it was fantastic. And also too, it was a 2-1 defeat. But they did play incredibly well in that game and I think that gave a lot of people hope that this is going to be something that can carry on to the next performance. And this is going to be a really difficult game. I mean, he was just explaining how good the form is that Paraguay is coming into this match. I think if the US really wants to get this right, they probably need to win this game.

37:18And not doing that would be very bad. Although we should point out in USA 94, they drew against Switzerland in their first game and still got through. Topical. Excellent. Tom, you're going to be there. Enjoy it. Next up, we're going to be joined by Phil Hay, who's going to tell us what took place this evening between South Korea and the Czech Republic. This episode of the Totally Football Show is brought to you by the FIFA World Cup meal at McDonald's. Right now at McDonald's, you can get one of nine legendary cups when you order the FIFA World Cup meal. These cups feature some of the biggest legends in football, like David Beckham, Hon Alginho and Thierry Amoury, and current stars such as Laminia Marle, Christian Pulisic and Alphonso Davies.

38:01The FIFA World Cup meal is available all tournament long, so see if you can collect all nine cups. That's the FIFA World Cup meal only at McDonald's. And participate in McDonald's for a limited time while supplies last. All rights reserved. 2026 McDonald's at FIFA World Cup 2026 is a copyright and trade.

38:21Hey there, it's Wayfair here, where delivery and setup are as easy as a few taps on your phone. You're relaxing in an old hammock scrolling Wayfair's app when you spot it, a brand new patio set. Next thing you know, Wayfair delivers it right to your patio and sets it up. Oh, you need a new grill too? Alright, Wayfair's got you covered. With Wayfair's room of choice delivery and fast expert setup on qualifying orders, life gets a little easier. Visit Wayfair.com or the Wayfair app. Way fair, every style, every home. Parles-tu français? Hablas espagnol? Parle italiano? If you've used Babbel, you would.

38:57Babbel's conversation-based technique teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers, Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55 % off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com slash acast. Spelled B-A-B-B-E-L dot com slash acast. Rules and restrictions may apply. Is agentic AI a change agent or an agent of chaos? What happens to sports when AI levels the playing field?

39:36And why does customer service still suck? Find out at Workflow, ServiceNow's new hub for AI insights that rise above the slop. Discover research and perspectives that help you walk into every room a step ahead. Crafted for leaders like you. Dig in at servicenow.com slash workflow.

39:57Well, we're joined for the final part of today's podcast by Phil Hay. Hello, thanks for having me. Oh, delighted you're here. You're here with us in Los Angeles because you are every day, pretty much, producing the Athletic FC's daily newsletter. I am, yeah, sitting over there keeping quiet, keeping out of trouble while you guys do this. All right. Well, the other thing you were doing, and this is absolutely crucial, was watching what was happening between South Korea and the Czech Republic. And let me just mention, by the way, on the subject of the newsletter and all World Cup related coverage on the Athletic, it's all free on the Athletic app for the duration of the tournament.

40:32It's an incredible resource just there at your fingertips. Anyway, South Korea against Czech Republic, and we've got an important skunk update coming up from Duncan. But Phil, what happened? Shall we do the football before the skunk? Yes. Yeah, okay. So scores on the doors. South Korea 2, Czech Republic 1, which on the balance of play was definitely the right result. It was hot and sweaty, I would say, in Guadalajara. And I had a look beforehand, 24 degrees, very humid. And you could tell that the Czech Republic were suffering from that more than the South Koreans were. It seemed to take the Czech Republic a while to twig that if they stood off South Korea and let them have the ball for long periods, that they were going to get run ragged and they were going to tire quickly.

41:16But I thought the Czech Republic's energy was pretty low for most of the game. And I've been in two minds about them because I was reading the analysis of them and their set pieces. And I think the stat was that in qualifying, they'd scored 45 % or close to 50 % of the goals from set pieces. so I was wondering are they just geniuses from dead balls or actually are they not particularly talented in open play and I'm kind of leaning towards the the second of those options I think what about South Korea then coming from a goal down to take a big opening win yeah they were good they they were lively early on um as I say Czech Republic seemed to realize that the conditions were a problem and and closed it down before half time um but they deserve to win the right decision to take off Son with about 20 minutes to go who was having one of those nights where he couldn't finish his dinner it's always dangerous drawing correlation here but I think I could see in that performance why he hasn't scored in MLS this season to this point but they were dangerous they created enough to win the game I don't think they're a side who are going to trouble teams particularly deep into the tournament but they're definitely a team that you can't take liberties with and it's a good result for them and I think on the basis that South Africa didn't look up too much against Mexico So you would certainly see South Korea going through from here.

42:30OK, South Korea who will be facing El Tri next Friday in the second group game from Group A. Fabulous, Phil. That's great. Anything else we should know about the game? Anyone sent off, for example? No, nothing at all like that. And the referee was good tonight, actually. I think it's been pretty decent today. I know there were three red cards in the Mexico game. Definitely two of them looked legitimate to me. I wasn't convinced about the third one. But a pretty steady evening, all in all. Czech Republic again scored from set piece tonight that seems to be their 40 but they play Mexico at the Azteca and I do fear for them in those conditions I think it's going to be pretty grim Very good Duncan Skunk news Well you were sort of ironically poo-pooing the concerns about a skunk direct hit but I can't reveal No I was curious I was curious I asked whether Tom when he saw a skunk approach You shocked me because you didn't seem worried I wasn't worried because I wasn't aware of the full entity of a skunk attack, but now I am because Duncan has explained.

43:30Yeah, direct hit. And when you say direct hit, these effects can be felt from half a mile away. Yeah, not a direct hit. They're not, you know, laser-guided. Right. I'm saying the effects of a skunk thing. Let's get on to the effects and let the listeners shoot in from distance. A blindingly sharp chemical stench. It smells like a toxic tire fire, kerosene, or fermented rotting onions. wow um it can cause severe nausea and immediate vomiting intense burning of the eyes nose and throat it's pretty bad that's how close we were to to that to that to that the curious thing is from a distance say half a mile away the aroma is provides an entirely different experience isn't that right yeah it can smell like marijuana from half a mile away hence the name so it's you know if you could smell marijuana from half a mile away what would you think someone like snoop dog is just walking down the street with the biggest spliff in the state well you wouldn't know it was half a mile away unless you've got an incredibly kind of radar like nose yeah i guess yeah anyway from now on you'll think it could be a skunk yeah give it a swerve yeah and make haste on your way very good do you know i think we all will do that it's been an exceptional opening day here at the World Cup.

44:51Phil, thank you so much for joining us. We're going to be seeing a lot more of you in the course of the competition. Duncan, many thanks to you and Tom Williams as well and Megan Ferringer earlier on and Joshua Cloak too. But above all to you, listener stroke viewer, we'll be back with another update tomorrow morning UK time or same kind of time you're watching this right now. For now though, from all of us here, it's goodbye. This episode of the Totally Football show is brought to you by hotels.com when you're booking a hotel here's a simple question why wouldn't you use hotels.com it really is all in the name as a member you save up to 20 on hundreds of thousands of hotels around the world and earn rewards on every single stay which means the trips you're taking now help pay for the ones you're already dreaming about and unlike some other places there are no blackout dates so when you want to travel your rewards are ready to go so So whether you're following your team across North America this summer or planning a well-earned escape to make up for being glued to the football for weeks on end, make sure you book on thehotels.com and start earning rewards.

45:54Because when it comes to hotels, it's simple. Hotels.com. It's all in the name.

46:03We spend over 40 days of our lives on hold. 40 days. Crazy, right? Your customers think so, too. That's why Parloa's AI agents are ready to talk 24-7, 365. From payment processing to roadside assistance, reliable, natural-sounding support, in any language, Parloa remembers every customer interaction, so no one has to explain themselves twice. Experience Parloa's AI agents in action at parloa.com.

46:35Think of a toilet as just an everyday object. Your entire perspective shifts the moment you experience a Kohler Smart Toilet. Design changes everything, transforming a basic routine into something extraordinary. With standout aesthetics and intuitive controls, these are functional works of art. Stunning design that never sacrifices performance. Enjoy customizable features for elevated comfort and convenience. It's more than a fixture. It's a cleaner routine and a more refined space. Experience the difference of Kohler Smart Toilets. Find more at Kohler.com.

47:35For younger kids to phones with parent-enabled apps for teens, each device allows kids to more safely grow their independence. Visit gab.com slash getgab and use code getgab for an exclusive offer. That's gab, G-A-B-B dot com forward slash getgab. Gab, tech and steps. Independence for them, peace of mind for parents.