Christian Pulisic Impact and Final Predictions

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P participating McDald's for a limited time, whilew suppies last, Allights reseserve twenty six McDald's FF Wor Cup twenty six Thank you to everyone who hung on with us on the live lebotard show. The post game today a little different. We're going to do a live morally abhorrent. We're bringing on our good friend Tom Boger of the athletic who by the way is doing outstanding coverage right now and Tom correct me if I'm wrong is he at athletic coverage for the World Cup Three. wall It is indeed free to wall. I don't want to hear anything about a paywall. Every link that I've shared has been free to open, so you're welcome I love that in the middle of NBA free agency, you're out there tweeting about realal Salt Lake acquisitions and trade. So Good on you, Tom, but for this postgame show edition of Morleally abhorrent, I want to preview the upcoming US knockout round fixture against Bosnia and Herzegevina. a tricky opponent because they're all tricky at this point. they play a stingy form of soccer and while the U S is heavily favored. I don't think that we're all in unchartered territory. The US is a heavily favored side in a knockout stage. You still got to play the game and this is an opponent that can frustrate you. So let me begin with the opponent as we preview them, not overly athletic. The US is very sneakily, I guess to the rest of the world. onene of the more athletic sides in this tournament. Syiles make fights They may grow frustrated with how stingy Bosnia is. Yeah, if we want to do broad strokes and generalizations, it's this Bosnia game is going to look more like the first two group stage games in terms of style. Paraguay wanted to sit in deep, hit on the counter. Australia wanted to sit in deep, hit on the counter. That's how Bosnia is going to play. I think Australia is a little bit better defensively, but Bosnia, particularly after Australia benched their two most dangerous attackers against the US for reasons that remain unclear I think Bosnia can hurt you a little bit more in transition, but in terms of the style, it'll be the US having more of the ball and Bosnia daring the team to break them down. and the key for the group stage beyond just how great the performances were early goals. All three games US scored within eleven minutes. That's that makes it a whole lot easier to go against a team that wants to defend deep because they got to change up immediately. So the two sides that the U. S. Ran into that play a similar style. Australia who's really surprised me with their speed going forward on the counter. Baw has world class talent up top. They have the speed to hurt you on the counter. Is that something that Bosnia can do in this match? I feel like they're more limited there. Yeahet, it depends. So like Edin Jeo, Mike, I think you could beat him in a race. Don't go anywhere near him for a fist fight. I think that that's just generally I would say that to anybody if if they ask But he's not exactly going to hurt you in transition. But you know who will? Esmir Barok Tereovich, who was actually born in Wisconsin, a kid who came through the US. youth National teeam S systems But as his family fled to the United States during the war And this kid has always felt Bosnian. There was this really, really cool photo of him wearing an Eden Jeko jersey when he was a kid. He was probably like seven or eight years old. Ezmmer Bartervich gets contacted by Bosnia and he immediately says yes. And Ezmmer Barakereovic scored the winning penalty in the shootout to qualify for the World Cup. And I think his family put up that photo of him wearing the Jeko jersey when he was a child and right next to it was Jeko giving him a big hug after that game. So that kid can play. he's a baller He's somebody who wants to embarrass you every time he touches the ball so much so that one of his previous coaches was like, E, I know that you can beat somebody up the dribble almost any timee you get the ball. What I want you to do next game, the first five times you get the ball, you don't dribble. you pass sideways. You low the defender because I know you can do it whenever you want. If you do it a few times, we'llouble team you. We want you to do it when it's most useful. So that's the kind of kid that he is. Ali Beovich, the other winger or the other wide forward that they play with I think is their best player. He's this young kid that scored in their last game and those are the two danger players in transition. but this team's got a bunch of giants. I know the US are good on set pieces, but D US needs to not give away needless set pieces and it's not just corners of free kicks. Bosnia hurts you on long throws. So I think that's going to be one of the keys in a game is limiting how many set piece opportunities that Bosnia gets which the U.S. did really, really well against both Paraguay and Australia. We did see in the ramp up to the World Cup, the U.S l in a really bad goal to a taller player and K Haards. So Bosnia has those tall players. Is that what you're worried about or or we already in the territory where for the U.S to get through They just don't need to beat themselves. The latter, honestly. and I don't want to sound like I'm overlooking or disrespecting Bosnia. This is a fantastic story. They're in the knockout rounds on merit. This wasn't lookuck. Sure, the group could have been worse, but hey, man, you play who you play and they don't have to apologize for being itar and drawing Canada. But the US are, I think the last I looked like minus one five ten favites to advance. Like you said, like uncharted territory. And this is no disrespect to Bosnia. On Monday night, the Netherlands and Morocco played around a thirty two game The Netherlands Morocco. Th are two teams could have been semif could have been a semifinal. Defitely should have been a quarterfinal. The U.S. has Bosnia. It's a little bit different. So the U.S. had a rotational side against Turkey. even down to the goalkeeper. I'm curious your thoughts there because Freeze and Turner we've settled on Freeze being starter, but there is a healthy debate between the two. I'm of the notion that if you fully believe in freeze, he probably should have been out there because he hasn't been super tested in this tournament. and I'm a big believer in that position being a rhythm position Your timing can get altered if you're not playing regularly So where are you on that decision? I anticipate Freeze being out there, but do you think this is potentially a mistake? one hundred percent Freeze. I think that he should be the starting goalkeeper for this team and Mike I do agree with you that he should have played against Turkey. He hadn't been really tested and it's just I don't know, that's not a position that you need to rotate rest, load manageer or whatever you want to call it. The other side of it maybe the human side Like Matt Turner, like if he wasn't going play that g, he wasn't going to play at this World Cup, which, you know, there's no participation minutes at this at this tournament, But you're already through. I understand the rationale, though I disagree with it. It's it's not really a hill I die on. But that team being fully rotated, I don't blame them for I don'ton't criticize him for losing. Who cares, right? And Turkey, congratulations. you played well and the only game that didn't have any consequences, pressure, stakes Interesting how that happens with that group of players who, you know, we talked about all their individual talents and Hoc Hunchinogus coming out and just crapping on whatever team they're about to play on. So that's always interesting to me that they play well with no pressure and they play poorly with pressure, but I digress on that. I didn't like what I saw from Tim Weaya, who is a player I rate highly. He's just in a bad r of forum, particularly over the last six months. Gio Ranna did nothing I know this for fact because I've seen the data Turner registered a higher sprint than Geonna did in the game against TurkeK. The goalkeeper, the backup goalkeeper, registered a higher sprint than Geona. and I think that he covered like two or three fewer kilometers than like one of the centerbacks. So I don't love to see that and Zendejas didn't do much in limited minutes. Ricardo Peppy was pretty anonymous. Hogie Wright didn't come in off the bench. Brandon Aronsson was busy and I like what he brings to the team He didn't contribute really anything in the final third. Mike, if it's Nil Nil in the seventieth minute, if it's one one going extra time and Poatino looks at his bench and needs to make a change. honest to goodness, I don't see a good option after that Turkey game. likeike if we're just talking about for like that aren't really good options that separate themselves as like I should be the first one in off the bench. Well, what about Burhalter? He had a polarizing performance. Y. There were there were I wouldn't call it polarizing. There were some people out there that saying that he was the worst player on the field when, you know, he had goal contributions there and he does have a specific skill set on set pieces that stick out Do you think that there's a role for him in excluding Wesn or Christian politic in terms of players that featured in that game in a larger role. Do you think any of them make an impact here against Bosnia? So Sber Hter, he's a dog manan. I really, really like that player. He's got qu particularly technical quality like you're say, likeike he'll run around, he'll get in every challenge he possibly can. One of the little things and I was going to take a shot at Geo Rna here, but like one of the thing and like they're different players. so I don't want to not everybody has to be a crazy angry dude from New Jersey like me. But the things I noticice is Geo Ryna got it was a heavy challenge in the first half. S Bur immediately sprinted and got in the dude's face and then helped Geo up like screamed at the guy, yelled at the ref, turned around, picked up Geo. It was really cool. Second half, Sebber Halter goes up for a header it gets undercut And I was worried that he landed on his shoulder. L he looks in real pain. Go was the closest person to him, looked at him, looked at the referee, grabbed the ball walockks away The second that S Ber Alter got up, he just passed the ball. All that is to say in a knockout round game, who I want on the field is S Ber Hter because I know that he ain't going to be too small for the moment and if if things get tense, he's not going to back away. He's going to ask for the ball. He's going to try to g him. I think S Ber Alter comes in off the bench no matter what, But Mike like he's a deeper lying player and that could free Weson McKiny or Mik Tielman to go play further forward I kind of excluded him from that other group because Wea could play as a wingers, Zendeas is a winger, Ppp and rightight are forwards, Jo Rain is a ten and none of them and Eronsson's a ten. none of them really did anything to appreciate their stock Do you anticipate any surprises in the starting eleven from Poach? I don't. I think it has to be the same as Paraguay and Pochatino has changed and chopped and done a lot of surprising things during his time as USMT manager. So maybe I shouldn't be too confident in this, but w andt truly would be shocked if it's a different eleven. Well, let's talk about Patuaya. You mentioned them That was a performance that was kind of picked apart. I think the most impressive performance that the US men's national team has ever had in a tournament such as this, but some of the criticisms or dilutions that were offered was Sy do why? They're not very good. Well, they just beat Germany Who we have very recent data points against. Germany beat the U.S That was supposed to be Germany running through a flat track against Potaway. What do we do with that result? It makes it a little bit more difficult because I like again, well and truly, I think the biggest reason for the US' four one win over Paraguay in the opening game was the US. Like while Paraguay weren't the strongest and I was disappointed in kind of how they played. I'm giving more credit to the US for what they did to kind of eliminate and suffocate Paraguay than Paraguay not showing up, though I think that that wasn't the best representation of that team. A better representation of that team is what you saw against Germany and what I expected to see against the U.S. So this is a team that took points off. I believe Brazil, Argentina. like they were very good in South American qualifying, which is to me the hardest week to week or window to window qualification in the world. they do get a number of spots as they've well earned. But even even to get to sixth and seventh out of the ten there. It's a dog fight and all of those games are hard. Bolivia is widely the weakest team in that region. They rarely lose at home because they play at insane altitude. And like so even Eric with the easy game, the Mino, there isn't any easy games. So Paraguay is battle tested and even talking about the South American teams like Ecuador is playing against Mexico at the Azteecca. Mexico I think is a better team, but in terms of anybody left at the World Cup who's not going to be intimidated or afraid or neegative effects from the altitude or the atmosphere the Azeca,'s Ecuador. So These South American teams are really, really good. Erg has been the biggest disappointment to me for that reason because I had big expectations for them and what a lot of these teams are able to do and just the lack of fight I know that they kind of showed literal fight against Spain. I thought that that boarded more on dirty than physical. But all that is to say that these South American teams are very good and they ain't easy to beat. I'm sure you've written more words about Christian Polisic than anyone else over these last couple of weeks and entering that Turkey A match. There was a big debate do you feature him? Do you not I was of the thinking that I know this player to be fragile. I didn't want to see him in there. My heart was in my throat and then he made an immediate impact in the attack. He looked like the best player on the pitch. defensively. Yeah, he had his moments that weren't exactly glorious, But in the attack, he was bossing that game and he came away healthy. We expect him to start What did you take away from Christian Polisics performance there? and how has training been this week? I thought it was very important to get him some time off the bench. It was more than I thought it was going to be and Poatino spoke about that after the game was like Obviously the first objective was to win today, right? Like he goes the other main objective was to get Christian thirty or forty minutes. And they did that And within eight minutes because that was the time to the hydration break And that I was kind of recalibrating and thinking about like what I just saw was like, all right within eight minutes, it was very clear he's the best player on the pitch wearing a USA jersey Probably the second best point on the pitch behine Arg Gleer at that moment And what I was most encouraged by was He didn't hesitate for a second to sprint. He didn't he got in behind. He looked like he did in the first half against Paraguay without like last final touch. Like he looks very dangerous. Like you said, I contradict that to what Alfonso Davies looked like for Canada against South Africa. He's been clamoring to play. He's been dying to play. He asked Jesse Marsh to the last group stage game I know the doctor said, maybe I shouldn't play, but I want to play. Let me play. and they had to say, no, we got to wait. And he was supposed to be fully ready to go for that Canada game. Mike I didn't see him open up. And the best thing about Alfonso Davies is he's probably if not literally the fastest player at the World Cup, like should be one of them and his explosive pace strikes fear into defenders. You have to sit off them and running by you I didn't see him open up and I saw the South African defenders noticing like, o, like he doesn't he doesn't either have it or he doesn't trust his body. I say that all to say. Christian Poolis both had it and trusted his body. and that is huge news going forward. Is it easy to say that he's going to be the most important player in this match for the US to get to where they want to get to or do you think that one one of the under stududies or less glamorous players have a huge role here and say in what happens here. Yeah, off course, there's the randomness that comes with soccer. and I know it's a little bit reductive to look at a eleven v eleven game and talking about one player, partarticularly in a sport that is more a weak linked sport than a strong linked sport like basketball is, but the US ain't going anywhere if Pistic isn't good And you know, maybe you can get by Bosny if he's not good You're not getting through the round of sixteen if he isn't. If this is the Christian postic because we saw in the forty five minutes against Pataguaya and genuinely the thirty two minutes against Turkey, for the most part Its like this team can go far. and Particularly if you get past Bosnia and you see I you know Senegal or Belgium, either one, I think both of those teams are strong. I think Belgium's a little better you need to be able to have somebody that All right, things broke down or Soot, we need a goal, We need a moment. Give the ball to ten and let them cook. What do you anticipate? in this match against Bosnia. How does it play out? I'm of the thinking along with Chris Falio join me the last episode that you still got to play these games. It's a different type of pressure. Yes, you're a host nation and that helps But I think it's going to be a little tough to crack Bosnia at least initially. And then once they get one Then you open Bosnia up a little bit and the second one should come quickly thereafter. I totally agree. like early goal, early performance is very crucial. I've been joking for the last two weeks when it seemed a week and a half that it seemed like Bosnia was like the like the opponent and as that went from like fifty percent to sixty five to like one hundred I was like, man, we're everybody's talking about this is favorable draw, all that stuff like dude this has one one draw Bosnian pens written all over it. don I don't know if I have the stones to come on this show and actually say that without joking or being ironic. but like I don't know, man, I can really see that outcome. But for me like the way the U.S has been playing And particularly what they showed against Paraguay in Australia. and again, just being very, very general of like that's the style of game that we're going to see Bosnia I don't think are good enough to play out of the US' press because the press is very good And then it becomes about when you get the ball back overloads. and West McKiny and Lak Tilman have been so good at that creating three V twos on either flank and both switching up which sides they go to Weston McKinney more often on the right side with Ser Gginio Des and just killing whoever's in front of them. So I think the US. has enough. I think the U. S. should win this. comfortably I say that was inflection because They will rarely come like shock and run game. Yeah. noable inflection. Thatw would happen At time of recording, there's been four knockout round games. There have been two stoppage time winners and two games that went to penalties That's what it's probably more likely to be that. Well, hopefully we have a few more preview episodes in store for you with Tom Bogert here. You got to play the games, right? I'm so a little nervy I'm presently sitting on a ticket that's Bosnia plus one and a half. So I think it I think it might be a little bit tougher, but we'll see if you can open them up the goals can come in bunches once you get a stingy opponent like this that has to play outside of their usual game. Tom does an incredible job for the Galazzo network with Paramount and as we mentioned, all of his World Cup coverage in the athletic is no longer behind a paywall here for the remainder of this tournament. So Go ahead and support Tom. He's a great friend of the show, a loyal listener to Tom. You're doing a great job out there. Keep it up. Hopefully, we talk to you again very soon. Thanks Mike, you looking forward to it All right. We'll be back with you. I think towards the tail end of the week here, mayaybe a reaction episode, no doubt for the US men's national team performance. I'll be joined by Iuminary on that episode as well. So continue to support Mor L ofort, which is always going to be available here on the mainfld of the Leatard showh. We'll try to do some more lives here on the YouTube YouTube dot com slash at Lebotard showhow