Bellingham & Kane escape defeat, Spain dominates behind Nico Williams, Mexico crashes out

This episode dives into the dramatic turn of events in the Euros and Copa America, focusing on England and Spain's performances and Mexico's elimination.

1. England's performance was a mix of desperation and brilliance, encapsulated by Bellingham's late-game heroics.
2. Spain demonstrated tactical superiority and team cohesion, which sets them apart as one of the tournament's favorites.
3. Mexico's elimination highlighted their current limitations, including a lack of impactful players and strategic depth.
4. The episode effectively uses the ongoing tournaments to discuss broader themes of team dynamics and national pressures.
5. Commentary provided sheds light on the emotional highs and lows of competitive sports.

1: Opening Remarks

Alexi Lawless introduces the podcast, highlighting the significance of ongoing soccer tournaments. Alexi Lawless: "Welcome to the State of the Union podcast. We look at the beautiful game on and off the field."

2: England's Dramatic Game

Discussion on England's performance against Slovakia, focusing on the team's resilience and last-minute victory. David Mossy: "England demonstrated both the spirit and tenacity needed to survive such a high-stakes game."

3: Spain's Dominance

Analysis of Spain's game against Georgia, noting the strategic execution that led to a dominant win. Alexi Lawless: "Spain is looking like the class of the tournament right now."

4: Mexico's Struggles

In-depth look at Mexico's game against Ecuador, discussing the team's efforts and shortcomings that led to their tournament exit. David Mossy: "Mexico played their best but it still wasn't enough to beat an underperforming Ecuador."

5: Conclusion and Look Ahead

The hosts summarize the day's games and preview upcoming matches, discussing potential outcomes and what they mean for the teams involved. Alexi Lawless: "Big day tomorrow, obviously. We are coming to you live here on Sunday evening as we are on the eve of the big US Uruguay showdown."

1. Learn from defeat: Analyze losses to understand tactical and strategic missteps.
2. Embrace the moment: High-pressure situations can lead to significant growth.
3. Cultivate resilience: Continuous improvement and adaptation are key to overcoming challenges.
4. Encourage teamwork: Collective effort often leads to success in high-stakes environments.
5. Stay informed: Keeping up with the latest strategies and games can provide a competitive edge.

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse recap the thrilling comebacks in the Euros Round of 16, as well as Mexico and Jamaica’s elimination from Copa América Group B. England escaped an early knockout round exit, with a Jude Bellingham bicycle late in second half stoppage time. Slovakia led 1-0 for most of the match, but after leveling the score Harry Kane’s header claimed the Three Lions victory. Spain also came back from being down 1-0, scoring 4 unanswered goals to advance. Mexico failed to make it out of the group for the third time in their last four Copa América appearances. A win on the night would have clinched their spot in the quarterfinals. (3:03)
To wrap the show, Alexi gives his motivational speech to the USMNT as they take on Uruguay tomorrow evening and try to advance out of their group. (25:04)

People

Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Nico Williams

Content Warnings:

None

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Alexi Lawless
Hello, sunshine. I'm Alexi Lawless, and welcome to the State of the Union podcast. We look at the beautiful game on oh boy. On and off the field. It's been a long day.

Mossy through the lens of red, white and blue colored glasses. Today's show is brought to you by Zillow agents Tours loans homes get home with Zillow we are coming to you live Sunday, June 30, with the continuation of the 2020 €4 round of 16 and the continuation of simultaneous third group stage games being played at the 2024 Copa America. As we make our way through this amazing summer of soccer, reminder, we'll be coming to you live each and every day of your euros action and Copa America action, giving you a wrap up and a preview of what's to come. But first, joining me as always, my friend, my colleague, my guiding light, David Mossy, a soccer savant and a fox soccer researcher and writer extraordinaire. Mossy, how are you on this Sunday, June 30?

David Mossy
I'm doing okay, although I saw something today I don't think I was supposed to see, and it shocked me. Okay, what was that? Give it to me. Give me the goods. I think the now show, in one of their airings today, put somebody else in that eagle outfit that I wore in our opening.

Alexi Lawless
Oh, it's, it's open source. It's just anybody can wear this thing. I thought it was sacred, but I guess not. I thought it was like tailor made for you. But evidently any old person can get in and, well, that show, let's be.

David Mossy
Honest, at least it was somebody very important. Cole the intern. I'm told. Wow. Okay.

Alexi Lawless
That's, you know, that's. But you should not be surprised, given what we've seen relative to the show, that she'll be, you know, remain nameless throughout this tournament. Right. I mean, some of the things that they are doing, I wouldn't call them stunts, per se. You know, somebody showed me a video today of Melissa dressed as a pretzel.

David Mossy
That was a couple of days ago, I guess. Oh, because pretzels are big in Bavaria and that type of thing. Is that it? And then Jimmy and Wes were running around the building. Wes was running like a guy running to the bathroom to take a piss.

It was a bit awkward, the whole bit. But that was part of the bit, I guess. Yeah. Boy, he needs a new agent. All right, let's check out.

Alexi Lawless
Well, first off, I know you're not reading or watching anything, but I should ask you if there's anything there is. Come across. New episode of House of the Dragon dropping tonight. Depending on what time I get home, I might try to watch that this evening. Oh, okay.

I'll be up early, so I'm going to try to get to sleep as early as I possibly can. Be up early doing some Fox News promotion. Big day tomorrow, obviously. We are coming to you live here on Sunday evening as we are on the eve of the big us Uruguay showdown, if you will. But there were all sorts of interesting games.

Should we light this candle, my friend? Let's do it. All right, today's scores. First off, when it comes to the euros round of 16. England two, Slovakia one, Spain four, Georgia one.

Over in the Copa group, Bhdem was in their third games. Mexico, zero, Ecuador zero, Jamaica Zero and Venezuela three. All right, best moments of the day. Victory unlock brought to you by Zillow agents tours loans homes. Get home with Zillow.

Should we start with the England? I don't want to bury the lead here. Let's do it. Okay. England and Slovakia, we came on air this morning and a lot of fanfare and a lot of attention.

As is always the case when it comes to England. I started out this tournament saying that this England team is like the Dallas Cowboys and they are in every way and that just as many people watch to see them lose as watch to see them win. But they are must see type of television. Now, their opponent in Slovakia, on paper should not have given them a problem. And that's not to say that it's not a quality team and they can't score goals and they can't give you a game.

But this is England that we are talking about. Our pre game discussion focused around, was Gareth Southgate going to make any changes and how were those going to affect the team? But it was always kind of a fait accompli that they were going to find a way to win and comfortably, I think people would have said. But it did not play out that way in the best possible way in that we watched some of these games for drama and there was drama from start to finish in the form of an angst riddled England team on the field. And I'm sure off the field, the England fans bemoaning minute after minute after minute and ultimately hour and almost a half of just absolute rubbish when it comes to this english team, followed by five minutes of amazing and then some other type of mediocre type of play.

Ultimately, England gets the win in the most dramatic fashion that we have seen probably in this tournament. And, you know, notwithstanding the Italian getting out, the Italians getting out of the group, and everyone is just left on the floor almost exhausted. Now, we came on after the game and this is where I'd like to get you in here. I asked, is the pint glass half full or half empty? Because it's very easy to look at this game and to talk about the spirit and the tenacity and the belief that coursed through the veins of the english players to enable them to come back from being down 10 and almost at the death, or at the death, find a way, with an incredible bicycle from Jude Bellingham, to take it to extra time.

And ultimately, a couple minutes into the first of the 15 minutes, our friend Harry Kane finishes it off and then it's done. From there, that's the glass half full and way to go. You get to move on. The glass half empty is how the hell did England even put themselves into this position? And yet I shouldn't be surprised because it was more of the same ridiculousness that we have seen through this tournament.

David Mossy
Yeah, I would say glass half full because ultimately they survived the knockout game at a major tournament. But I do take your point. We keep waiting for a better England to emerge. It didn't happen. I thought it was even damning that after Kane scored in the first minute of extra time, you would have thought at that point they would kick on and dominate the rest of the extra session.

Slovakia would be demoralized. And no, they ended up having to hang on for dear life. So you're right, it really was just those couple of minutes, the Bellingham goal and then came soon after and that was that. Now I know there are people out there that are saying, why aren't you giving the due to Slovak? That's the voice I use for people that are morons.

Alexi Lawless
So why aren't you giving the dew to Slovakia? Okay. The story was England and continues to be England. Now Slovakia, wonderful, wonderful performance. This wasn't a smash and grab.

They were good from start to finish. Obviously they had the two blips and that's what cost them the game. They are going to go back and rue the fact that they let those two opportunities happen. Certainly the second 1 may be more so than the first one. The first one, obviously, it's the end of the game.

It's a long throw in and it's a bicycle and it's a moment of magic and brilliance that will live long in the hearts and minds of the english and soccer fans and of that tournament. So all I'm saying is, if you like Slovakia, all right, take solace in that. This was a wonderful account of these young men, this team and ultimately of this country. Don't be offended, all right? The fact that most people that were watching today, if I ask them to identify where Slovakia is on a map, they couldn't do that.

It's okay. It's okay. On the soccer field, you did your country proud. So congratulations on getting there. They are a past winner of this competition because Czechoslovakia won in 1976 and technically both Czechia and Slovakia inherited Czechoslovakia's records.

David Mossy
So I was hoping Czechia and Slovakia would meet in this tournament. So it would be a battle of past champions, both claiming the same title. Wow, that would have. It's like one of those college football seasons back in the day when two teams would split the title like Michigan and Nebraska in 97. Yeah, it was ridiculous then and it's ridiculous now for them to be splitting it now.

Alexi Lawless
I mean, it should just go off and live as something else. You don't split it? No, absolutely not. Before we leave this game, is there any hope for this England team that to your point, a different team is going to emerge from the mist of this brigadoonish type of thing and say, this is who we actually are and this is the fairy tale and the dream? I think this could be a turning point for them.

David Mossy
I could see them playing better in subsequent rounds, but frankly, given the draw, they don't have to be at their absolute best to get to the final. Next up is Switzerland on Saturday in Dusseldorf, which is a tough game. You and I both like this swiss team, but it's not facing Germany or Spain. So they did land in the more favorable side of the draw, so maybe they don't have to be at their best and they'll still keep chugging along. I mean, we've been here before, right?

Alexi Lawless
So fool me once and all that kind of stuff. All right, well, listen, congratulations to the English, um, on going through. Not convincingly, but going through. Before we move on, though, we talked about how one of the interesting subplots of this summer with these two tournaments is the Ballon Dor race and seeing what Vinicius was going to do, and Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. And Bellingham had a moment today that I think strengthened his candidacy, for sure.

Yeah, I guess. I guess it was. I mean, it was a great goal. It was a great. Well, I mean, it was a moment.

So I guess, in that he needed, and we want him to, because he is an incredible player, to remind us of why he is getting all the attention. And he certainly did, and he took it well and it was wonderful. And to be sitting next to Daniel Sturridge and to Jules and everybody there, and just to see them go crazy, it was fun. Even though I can certainly be. I can certainly criticize and make fun of the English, and I love to do so, I could even revel in those five minutes, but I'm only giving you five minutes.

That's it. All right. Should we go on to the Spain Georgia game? Four to one. Yes.

David Mossy
Georgia struck first. Another own goal, the 8th of the tournament. Lenormand turning the ball into his own net. You thought, wow, could Spain be in some trouble here? But that was not the case.

They dominated the rest of the match, 76% possession. They outshot him 35 to four. They went four one. Four different goal scorers. Rodri Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Danny Omo.

Spain looking like the class of this. Tournament right now and continuing to show that they have. I don't know, I probably wouldn't say evolved, but certainly changed in the way that they play and the way that we look at it, and certainly from past and history. And you mentioned the wings of this team and the young wings of this team and how much they trust them and how much they play through them. Today was the perfect blend of the two styles.

They dominated the midfield, had all the possession, but also you saw that directness. Both La Mina Mao and Nico Williams were great. That Nico Williams goal was absolutely sensational. Incredible. I mean, first off, just skip by the defender, and then it looks like it's just a completely random shot down, but it's not down.

Alexi Lawless
The middle, but it's not. So, I mean, they are flying right now. And I think earlier today I did my power rankings and there was a flipping of Germany and Spain. All right. Doesn't mean that I don't think that Germany is going to win the tournament, but there is a flipping of those two.

David Mossy
Well, we will settle that once and for all on Friday in Stuttgart, because that is the matchup. Absolutely mouthwatering clash. Germany and Spain in the quarterfinals. The two most successful nations in the history of the competition, both three time winners, and they square off in this upcoming round. Okay, should we go over to Copa America, Group B?

Alexi Lawless
And let's start with our friends Mexico. My goodness. They were in a moment of desperation. Backs to the wall. All the different things that you say they needed a win against Ecuador.

They were playing in front of yet another home crowd, thousands and thousands. And while I think this is the best we have seen them play maybe in a long time, I got the feeling, and I said this on air, that Mexico played at its maximum at 100%. And even that wasn't enough to beat Ecuador, who I thought was 75%. They knew they needed a point. They did what they needed to do.

Bend, but don't break. And so, even in this moment, you saw that Mexico isn't enough. They don't have enough game changers. They don't have a striker. They don't put the fear of God into anyone, either individually or collectively, as a team.

And they couldn't, in this moment, rise to the occasion and summon up some sort of class from the past and success from the past to get the result that they needed. And again, we don't have to have this conversation every night, but for critics of VAR, thank God we had it tonight, because imagine if Mexico had gone through on a shambolic penalty decision at the end there. Felix Torres clearly got the ball. Guillermo Martinez. It was whistle the penalty.

David Mossy
Var cleaned it up. That would have been scandalous. You agree that was definitely not a penalty. Correct. Which one?

Alexi Lawless
Because there were, like, four different ones. That could have been the one at the very end. I will agree. Although if you watch the back lift of the left foot. Wow.

Okay. Just watch the back lift of the left foot. It might coincide exactly when the ball is touched. So it was very, very close. I'm okay with it.

I am okay with it. I'm big enough to say that I'm okay with it. There were other ones that were interesting. The one that came over as a cross and then hit the arm. I mean, that one blocks the ball.

From going into a much more dangerous area of the goal. So that was a little interesting, but. I agree with your overall point. Mexico played with a lot of energy tonight, but not enough quality. And the bloom is off the rose for Santi Jimenez.

David Mossy
They've tried to talk themselves into him being better than he is. I know he's put up good numbers with Feyenoord, but that is the era de vizier. And at the international level, he did score the win winner against Panama in the Gold cup final. But overall, I don't think has been all that great. I mean, when I think about Carlos Mercia or Borghetti or these types of players or Luis Fernandez, I mean, it's a, these are men and boy.

Alexi Lawless
And a boy. This he is, he is. He doesn't, again, he doesn't scare me at all in what? And I don't know what from a national team perspective, he actually does well. And listen, the main issue is the players.

David Mossy
But they also wasted a year with Jimmy Lozano by overreacting to winning that Gold Cup, a Gold cup in which the US sent a b team. And it was not that big a deal to win that tournament, but they really wanted to believe that they had found their manager and so they gave him the job permanently. And to me, he never felt up to it. And so now they're going to probably have to make another change. Well, so it's the manager.

Well, I think it's both. I think it's mainly the players. I think any manager that walks in there is going to have issues right now, but they could get a better manager than him. I don't think he's up to the job. Speaker two.

Alexi Lawless
Well, hold on a second. I mean, I want to digress here because you don't think that he is capable of coaching the players that they have, but on the other side, you're telling me that they don't have the players in order to compete, but you think that somebody better would be able to do better with this group of players? Yeah, there's no scenario right now where Mexico would be great, but they could. Be a little better. Mossy, you think that there's somebody out there that would, you know, delve into the mind of him and say, well, you're just not.

You're running left and instead of running right. Come on. I mean, look, I to you, it's a zero sum. It either has to be the players fault or the manager's fault. It can't be both.

I'm not saying that a manager can't help. Okay. But I do feel that sometimes when we talk about, you know, these. These managers that, you know, if you would. If you put pepper, if you put Klopp or if you put this or that in there, that automatically they would become better because of what they have done.

And it is an apples and oranges type of story. But you would agree if the US, after they won that Nations League with BJ Callahan, had overreacted and been like, well, let's give BJ Callahan the job, you would have said, wait a minute, is the overall resume here enough to warrant that that is kind of what happened in Mexico and Jimmy Lozano? Yeah. But again, I just. We both agree the main issue is they don't have the players right now.

Absolutely. Absolutely. So we'll agree on that and we'll save this for. Because this is great content and we'll do that a little later. Okay.

And then the other game, Jamaica already out of the tournament, but they lost three nothing to Venezuela. Congratulations, by the way, to the La Vinoto. We talked about them parlaying the success that they are having right now in Comnumbo, qualifying for 2026 into not just a great showing here so far, but three wins, nine points, winning the group and looking very, very good. You know, their reward is that they get to play against Canada. I can't even believe Canada gets to play against Venezuela.

David Mossy
That's a matchup that both teams look at and think, wow, that's a game we could win. But I do expect Venezuela to win that game. I love the way they're playing. And we should note Fran Arthur is here. She apparently finished all her laundry, so graces with her presence, very excited.

We are approaching again that Sophie's choice situation for her of Venezuela facing Argentina. We're going to get that in the semifinals of this Copa. Why do you so quickly dismiss Jesse Martian company? No, I don't. They could win that game, but I would favor Venezuela based on what I've seen from both teams in the group stage.

Alexi Lawless
Okay. All right. Should we preview tomorrow? Let's do it. Yeah.

David Mossy
So we've got two more euros. Round of 16 matches, France versus Belgium and Dusseldorf and Portugal versus Slovenia in Frankfurt. I saw La keep at a projected France lineup today. They're going to tweak the formation a little bit, play with a front two in Bappe and Monica's tutan. And then Griezmann is a ten.

And then a midfield is going to be Rabio, Conte and Chuamani. So we'll see how that goes for them. Interesting game. Yeah. I mean, we know that this Belgium team is not the Belgium team of the past and has struggled so far in this tournament, but, you know, again, we hold that hope that they are going to show up in some different form.

Alexi Lawless
And Mexico is kind of Mexico and France has been kind of on cruise control for this tournament. Mbappe is still with the face mask. Right. That just kind of continues on through the tournament, you think? I saw a quote from him today where he said, it's horrible to wear the mask, but he might be medically forced to do it.

David Mossy
But I think if he's given any sort of choice on it, he's going to want to ditch it. All right. I still have France over Belgium. I agree. Okay.

Alexi Lawless
Portugal, Slovenia. I think Portugal. But I'm wondering how they're going to. You're hedging a little, huh? Well, we talked about this at the time.

David Mossy
They made eight changes to the lineup for their last group game, ended up losing to Georgia. And how much momentum did they lose with that? And you've got the hover and all those. Subplot. Didn't score in the group stage.

First time he's ever failed to score in the group stage of a major tournament. Previous ten between Euros and World cup. He had gotten a goal. So I think there are some fascinating subplots there. I think they're on upset alert.

That's what I would say. Mossy. Mossy. I mean, folks, if you've listened to our show or watched our show over the last couple of years, you know how high Mossey has been on this Portugal team, and yet now, when the rubber meets the road in this moment, you can't even come out with conviction and say, it's not a problem. They're going to go through here.

I do think they'll go through, and France will go through. And that would set up France. Portugal in the quarterfinals. Okay. All right.

Alexi Lawless
Yeah. I got Portugal finishing off Slovenia, and like I said, france and Portugal. What about over there in Copa America? We do have a game tomorrow at Arrowhead Stadium that I think is worth discussing. The United States will face Uruguay and at the same time, Bolivia play Panama.

David Mossy
Us. Uruguay is on fs one. Bolivia, Panama, FS two, and we will decide group C tomorrow. What have we decided? Are we calling it Uruguay or Uruguay?

Well, are you americanizing it or. I don't know. It's one of those that even Americans tend to say Uruguay, but it's Uruguay. Right. I think that's what sounds more natural coming out of an american's mouth.

Alexi Lawless
Okay, what about a brit's mouth? Well, what would Derrick Ray say? That's what I default to in any situation. He would somehow find a fourth syllable in there. Oh, we love him.

We love him. All right, listen, this is a big game. Like we said, we were on the eve of this USA Uruguay game, 09:00 p.m. eastern time on FS one. And as we've said since the debacle back on Thursday against Panama, this is, it's not necessarily must win, but it's must result.

And for all intents and purposes, it's a must win game against a very, very good team, one of the elites for a lot of people, one of the teams that they think is the best in this tournament and certainly has potential to win this tournament. So Greg Berhalter and company are up against it. We'll talk a whole lot about it all through tomorrow in terms of pregame, and obviously we'll be doing stuff during the euro coverage that we have. We don't know the lineup. We do know, obviously because of Tim Weah's red card that there is going to have to be at least one change.

We also don't know the situation with Matt Turner in goal, who only played a half. So we'll see if there is a goalkeeping change and we'll see what happens when it comes to that right side of the field. I was thinking about different lineups and different possibilities out there. It just, it occurred to me that over the last cycles, we've talked about how far we've come and how much talent we have and how much depth we have and all these different pathways, and yet when it really comes down to it, mossy tomorrow, there's not that many options. There really isn't.

I mean, when it comes to players that either can step in and can at least approximate any players that steps out, and Timmy Weah taking away the red card, but still, he has been, I think, one of the most consistent players for this national team out there on that right hand side, and there's nobody, let's be honest, that has even come close to approximating that. And there's nobody on the bench that can do it. So, you know, that's a problem. And even if Tim Weah was there, it's still a problem because I don't think that there's game changers on that bench that can come in in a substitute capacity and really change it. So this isn't me being Debbie Downer by any stretch of the imagination.

It's just the reality of the situation. I also was heartened to hear. I, Christian Pulisic, kind of walk back his comments about having to need. Having to play the game of their lives because they don't. Individually and collectively, they don't have to do that.

They just have to play a good game. I do think that they have to meet this team when it comes to the physical part. And again, that's not doing stupid things and leaving your feet and risking red cards and all that kind of stuff. But the physicality of the game tomorrow, that has to be established early. And so people like Weston McKinney in the tackle and from the moment that that whistle blows, the opposition, in this case Uruguay, they need to understand that they are in a game and that they are in a dogfight.

Again, doesn't have to be pretty, doesn't have to be romantic. Also doesn't mean that you can't be pretty and romantic. But first and foremost you must establish the fact that you're not in Kansas anymore. You are, but it's okay and you are in for a fight and that's, you know, I think. I think that's important.

That's about mentality and that's about the willingness to do it. I do think that we have the players to be able to do that. I don't know. Thoughts on this game? No.

David Mossy
Marcelo Bielsa on the touchline, which I'm disappointed about, he got himself suspended, another manager suspended for his nobody. Unless you've been suspended as a manager at Copa America. And you know, I love to watch him during these games, so I won't get a chance to do that. I read a couple of uruguayan newspapers today to try to gleam what lineup they're going to put out. It sounds like it won't be mass rotations, but they might rotate a little bit here and there.

Although all the players that were mentioned as possibilities for coming in are very good. Jose Jimenez at the back, a guy who plays for Atletico Madrid. Bentoncourt might come in for Garte in the midfield, Arasketa potentially for de la Cruz, which would be a Flamingo on Flamingos switch. So it is going to be a good lineup. And if it's Darwin Nunez up there, he has scored in his last seven games for Uruguay, which equals a record by this great uruguayan player, Hector Scaroni from the 1920s.

He can break the record tomorrow. And that's my biggest concern for the US. I think the US going forward can cause Uruguay problems, but at the back, especially if it's Horvath and goal and we've seen the center backs be shaky. We saw what happened in that friendly against Colombia, boy, against that Uruguay attack. With the intensity and the waves that come at you, that could be a problem.

Alexi Lawless
All right, well, they're up against it. Should we do my one for the road and get out of here? Get some sleep? Let's do it. All right.

It is time for my one for the road. And I thought about, you know, sometimes I will, I don't know if you've noticed. Mostly I'll get on the old television and I'll scream and yell about different things and, you know, talk about what I want to see and talk about what's not happening and what's good and what's bad. And I started to think about, you know, what I would tell these players, not that they listened to me or not that I could necessarily motivate them, but I tried to think about going into tomorrow and going into this very, very important game, and I will state again that this is not just important for the program and for this team. I think this is the most important game in Greg Berhalter's tenure as the coach of the men's national team and especially as it relates to him going forward.

That's not to say that if they don't get through that, he is going to be fired. I just think that this is a real litmus test and also think an opportunity for him. But when we're talking about this team tomorrow and this important game, you know, I think about the world in which we live in and the country in which we live in, and we live in interesting times, my friend. We live in dangerous times, we live in sobering times, but we also live in times where very little unites us. All right?

And it's a situation that we have created. I don't think any of us like it, but it's the reality of the situation, which means that when we do have moments and we do have things that can bring us together, they take on, I think, even more significance. And this team tomorrow in this little window, has a responsibility, but also an opportunity to unite the country in a moment. You know, if and when they are able to do it, it transcends soccer, and people want to be united, even if it's just for 2 hours, and then we can go back about fighting about different things. But nothing does this better than sport and nothing, I think, does it better than a sport that is representative of the country.

And in this case, it's what I feel is the greatest country in the world, and you won't have a lot of opportunities to do that. Many people never have opportunities to do that in life. And these young men going out there tomorrow in this game, I do think that it's important for them to feel the moment and to feel the potential for something great and to feel the potential for something historic. Don't be overwhelmed by it, because that can cause you to do things that you. That you shouldn't do, but appreciate it and respect the fact that you are being given this gift and this opportunity tomorrow.

And recognize that there's a lot of us out here, many of us that have been around for a long time, that do believe that you can do big things, that do believe that you can do things that are historic, that do believe that you can do things that have not been done in the past. And yes, a lot of times I'll talk about, you've been given so much in terms of resources and opportunities. And I remain incredibly proud that you have. And with that comes an expectation that you do more. And don't shirk that responsibility.

Embrace it, because this is going to be fun tomorrow. Because what's at stake here, Mossi? We have, as we've said today when we're talking about Mexico, we have drama. Everybody loves to see drama unfold in a sports type of form or anyplace else. We have pressure.

We have pressure on these players to perform and to provide that moment that unites and excites. And let's be honest, we have consequences. All right? And whether it's for the. The practical consequences of going out of a tournament and being grouped, or the consequences for a coach, or the consequences for the way that we look at this team going forward into what is supposed to be an incredible two years leading up to the most important moment in our soccer's history, which is the summer of 2026.

So all of that is to say is that they come and go very, very fast.

For me, if I was in front of them, I would beg them not to waste this opportunity. And you know what? They might play the best game of their lives. Who knows? And they still might lose.

But if at the end of the game, they can all look back and say, you know what? We did everything that we possibly could. And it doesn't mean that there's not going to be consequences, but we did everything we possibly could in watching that we brought people together and people United around this country, or united around this flag and united around this team. Through the lens of soccer. That's a good thing.

And you can inspire. You can inspire me, even though I've been around for a long time and I've seen a lot of things. And you can inspire people that have never seen you kick a ball in what you do in that window. So ultimately, I hope that that would resonate. Greg Berhalter and his staff have to motivate them as they see fit.

But I know I can scream and yell and do all that. Sometimes that's just volume, and sometimes you just have to talk about what you feel is on offer. And I would give my left. You know what? To be in that moment, to have this opportunity.

Yes. To have this responsibility. You did have this moment. 1993, Cope America group stage. You lost 10 to Uruguay.

David Mossy
Do you remember that game? Vaguely. Vaguely. But I will say, in terms of doing things that have not been done before, it should be said that we have beaten the likes of Argentina in a competitive tournament. We have beaten the likes of Brazil in a competitive tournament.

Alexi Lawless
We have beaten the likes of Colombia in a competitive tournament. So this is not far fetched. This would be a moment of celebration, and rightfully so, but this would not be the 1980 Olympic hockey team, all right? This would actually be these players and this team living up to what I think a lot of us believe is something better than we have had in the past. So let's hope that that's there.

It's going to be fun either way. We're going to have a fun time celebrating it. And like I said, hopefully bringing everybody into the american tent here, the american soccer tent that we have, and celebrating the country. Anything before we go, Mossy? Well, just to bring this back full circle, I want to give a shout out to Cole the intern.

Yep. You and I have a bond now, my friend. Yes, your. Your stank is on that. That costume forever, both of you guys.

All right, listen, thanks again to zillow for their great partnership. Thanks again to everybody out there for downloading and reviewing and subscribing and rating. What do the kids say? Smash that button over there on the YouTube thing. All right, we're doing a great job here.

We're, you know, over 20,000 and all that kind of stuff, so that's a good thing. We will talk to you again tomorrow. Big day for America tomorrow. Ooh, can't wait. Ooh, are we nervous?

Don't be nervous. Everything's gonna be just fine. Come on back tomorrow and we'll talk about it until then. And as always, my friends. Sighs the day.