Hey welcome back everybody. I'm coming to you from our LA Bureau. It's a beautiful place. I'm really, this is a full TV set up here. And I'm here for the first game, the World Cup.
The World Cup came here one time in 1994. Came here in 94, it was such an outstanding success. In fact, the numbers in terms of ticket sales and attendance have not been reached since. They have come back, and there's going to be games in Canada. There's going to be games in Mexico.
The first one kicked off in Mexico yesterday. They beat South Africa 2-0. And then Korea won yesterday in the nightcap. But tonight, at 6 o'clock local and Pacific time, 9 o'clock Eastern Time, the U.S. is going to take on Paraguay.
One thing about it, I mean, everyone's just making it clear. Whether you're on the Fox Sports desk or you're on the sideline, well, the sideline's a little different. We're pulling for the U.S. And I think that people who love soccer want to see America do well, I mean, that's really. It's going to get the national interest for non-soccer fans and non-soccer players.
They'll tune in if the U.S. can get on a run. And the key to that would be getting off on a great start. And that is, there's three automatic games. You've got to be first in your group, then you get the lower seat as you ascend, and more and more teams get eliminated.
So the U.S. is favored to win their group, but that would mean that they have to. win today against uh against um Against Paraguay. They beat him 2-1 last time.
So I talked to Clint Dempsey, one of America's finest forwards ever. He led the NCAA in scoring, I think, for two years. He played at the University of South Carolina and then starred for the national team, one of the leaders in the 94 squad. He's now on the Fox Sports desk. I asked him what to expect.
Let's listen.
So Clint Dempsey, we had a chance to see our first game. Mexico comes away with a 2-0 win. What's your takeaway from that game? I mean, I think it's pretty much the perfect start. They were able to get three points, they were able to get a clean sheet.
The only blemish on the game is their center back getting the red card. But it's great for them to get off to that type of start because it allows their fan base to kind of get behind them. And they've now set the mark, right? For other host country teams to do the job.
So the U.S. is next team up, and Canada as well. They got to go out there and make sure they started off right to get their own fan base behind them.
So it looks like it's finally here, you know, game day, game one against Paraguay. Do you think the team feels the pressure to get off to a fast start? Because people say you've got to come out of your group, you got to win your group if you want to advance. Yeah, I mean, I think there's always pressure. And like you said, even more so now being on home soil.
But you got to control what you can control, right? How hard you work, how hard you prepare. And I think they'll be ready for it. I'm excited for what I've seen in the attack, the way that they're able to. Create chances for each other, and whether or not taking players on, whipping balls in, getting goals.
It's been exciting to see. But I'm a little bit worried about them defensively. They've conceded 11 goals in the last four games. If you want to go far in this tournament, you can't do that. But I'm glad to see Chris Richards back in the lineup, hopefully, and that will give a big boost to our back line.
For people that don't know, what role does he play with the team? How valuable is Richards with this squad? Yeah, I mean, he's one of the first names that's on the roster sheet. He's the center back. He's part of that spine of your team that you need to be successful as you go from the goalie, center back, midfield to striker.
So glad to see him back. He's someone who's performed well at Crystal Palace. He's won two trophies there. And I think that gives you that confidence or that winning mentality that you can kind of bring to the team and help them perform better.
So tell me what you think is going to happen in goal. Most people think Matt Fries is going to start. People remember that Matt Turner's already got no World Cup experience. I saw it at Bruce Arena. Said I would go with Turner.
What do you think? Look, I'm not the coach, so I can't really decide. I mean, it's up to them who's performing best in training. But if you're going off of who Pochitino seems to go with, as of late, the main guy's been Matt Fries for him. But take nothing away from Turner.
I thought he performed really well against Senegal. I thought he had a great first half. And I think it's really up for grabs, which is kind of weird. When you think back to other World Cups, it was always clear and cut who was going to be their goalie, whether it was Tony Meal, Brad Friedel, Casey Kaler, or Tim Howard. It's really kind of the first time we've been in this situation.
But hey, that's up to the manager. That's why he gets paid the big bucks, and that's why he's going to be graded on how well they perform. Is this the sweet spot for the so-called golden generation and no longer emerging, no longer potential? It's the time for them to perform if they're ever going to come together? Yeah, I would say so in the terms of they've already had a lot of the players have World Cup experience.
You think back to the 2020 World Cup, it was a lot of their first time.
So they know what it's like to be around that type of situation. To be on the world's biggest stage. Yes, it's a little bit more added pressure being on home soil, but hey, This is what it's all about. This is what you live for. And if you're going to have a good legacy, having a strong tournament is what you need to happen.
And when I think back to the 94 World Cup and how well our team performed, and because of that performance, got the Domestic League of MLS. What could be the thing that comes about from a good performance here? Hopefully it's the situation. We're not waiting every four years for soccer to move the needle in the States. Hopefully we'll see it being something that's one of the top three sports every single year.
What are you going to be looking for in this game?
So a lot of people look at this game, they hope the U.S. wins. What does Clint Dempsey look for? For an ideal situation, I think you're getting goals and assists from your attacking players.
So whether that's Baligan and Christian, I think we need a clean sheet. Like I talked about, we've conceded 11 goals in the last four games. And so hopefully no injuries, no red cards, three points. I mean, that would be the perfect scenario. Right.
And how would this team, what's the formation for this team? How do you think they're going to line up against Paraguay? I mean, it's different. It depends on what they are in attack, what they are defensively. Would you put three in the back?
Well, it it kind of looks like, you know. At certain times, it's a 4-2-3-1, and at times it looks like it is a 3-5-2. I think what you will see is Anthony Robinson getting high on the left, and Sergino Dess getting high on the right, and I think Freeman kind of sitting a little bit more and making up that back three, like you talked about with Tim Reeem, Chris Richards, and Freeman. I think you're going to see Weston McKinney being more of a box-to-box midfielder, arriving late and timing those runs and getting on the end of things. And I know that on paper, sometimes it looks like Christian is playing on the left, but I see him operating a little bit more in the middle, left middle, being able to take people line, cut in on his dominant foot, whether he's link-up play with Baligan, which I'd like to see a little bit more of, or bringing the ball and creating his own chances.
I think those are a few things that we're going to see. Ryden. Cheers to America's 250th birthday. Get 20% off your first purchase at Foxnewswineshop.com with code FNRadio20. 20% discount excludes wine club offers and cannot be combined with any other promotion.
Expires July 31st, 2026. Must be 21 or older to order. Please drink yourself. Lastly, just playing for your country at home in year 250, I think the coach, even though he's from Argentina, has really tried to get into the team that you're playing for your country, that this is different. You guys kind of understood that.
Do you think this team understands that? Yeah, I mean, I think they understand it. I think what's been a difficult situation is. Them not having to qualify for the World Cup. When you qualify for the World Cup, you have to earn it and you have to have your back against the wall.
And you saw what they did in 2022, being able to qualify. And I just think it kind of brings you more together. With not really having that, I think sometimes you can kind of take your foot off the gas a little bit. But now, hey, the World Cup's here. It's all about...
you know, your legacy and it's all about what are you going to do with this once-in-a-lap opportunity to have a World Cup on home soil. And I'm eager to see if they can get it done. I know what you want to see happen. You want to see them get through and go as far as possible. What do you think is going to happen?
I mean, I think that's what's going to happen. I think they're going to either win the group or get second. I think that they're going to get to the round of 16 and hopefully be able to get through that Achilles Hill of, you know, the past World Cups that I was a part of, whether it was 2006 or whether it was 2010 or 2014, we weren't able to get past that round of 16. You know what I mean? We lost to Belgium in overtime.
We lost to Ghana in overtime.
So being able to do what the team did in 2002, getting to a quarterfinal or trying to get to a semi-final, that would be historic.
So what my heart tells me, I want that, my head tells me, you know, they get to the round 16. All right. And a lot of times people say if we're going to win, Clint Dempsey had to score. A lot of people say if they're going to win, Christian Pulisik has to score. You know what it's like to have that pressure on your shoulders.
What advice do you give? How do you handle that? I mean, I'm not going to give any advice. I mean, he's someone that's made for these big moments, and you show him over time that he steps up. You look at how he performed in the last World Cup, got a goal, got an assist.
You saw how he performed in World Cup. Cup qualifying when we were playing together and also when they qualified for 2022. It's one of those things, he's going to create chances. I think he's going to get looks, and I think he's going to score.
So I'm excited to see what I'm going to, you know, watch. And I think he understands what's at stake here.
So there's nothing I really need to say. These guys got to go out there and do it. And I look forward to watching them and cheering them on because now that's all I can do: be a fan and hope that they are the people that inspire our youth, inspire my kids to want and believe that they can go do something special.
So we'll have to wait and see. Like hockey did. Exactly. Anything's possible. Why not us?
Yeah, why not you guys? And see, if people, I was watching Bruce Arena, one of the greatest coaches in American soccer ever, and Bob Bradley also did a fantastic job at the University of Virginia, the Metro Stars, the Red Bulls, and with the U.S. national team. His son Michael Bradley is now coach of the Red Bulls. They both said that they think the quarterfinals.
But if you can get to the quarterfinals, You can go all the way. I mean, literally, you watched the U.S. four years ago tie England, the number three team in the world, and they outplayed him.
So if this team is better And things break your own way. I mean, we're watching right now. I watch right now what the Knicks are doing in basketball. Nobody thought the Knicks were going to do that. They were down 2-1 to Atlanta, the number three seed in the Eastern Conference, thought to be the weaker conference.
Then they reel off the second greatest winning streak in playoff history and then have the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.
So please stop telling me it's impossible. You can't really say it's impossible. And although people have told me that you know what those college kids did in beating the Soviet Union, who beat the NHL All-Star team, they say that upset. was more likely than the US winning the World Cup. I wouldn't say so because you have 11 players in that team that have gone the duration, that have gone to the highest levels and are playing at the highest levels in leagues around the world.
And I'll factor in one more thing. It's kinda odd. That they now have Hydration breaks in the game. One of the great things about soccer is you gotta keep running or pace yourself within the game for 90 minutes, 45 minutes, a half, injury time, that's what goes later. Why are you taking a hydration break?
It's cold summer. I mean, that's what happens in the World Cup. Unless you're playing in an off-season, a different hemisphere like Brazil, it's going to be hot. But that's one of the advantages. Look, don't you think Brazil and El Salvador and Ecuador and all the Central and South American countries want to be able to play in this climate because they excel.
They're used to it. They grew up in this. That's how they've always learned to play. The ones that can handle it are the Europeans, the Nordic countries. They can't handle the humidity, but that's an advantage.
That's just like the field. You have your home field. You get familiar with it.
So I think that's a big mistake, the hydration mistake, but it's also a way to insert more commercials. After all, it costs a billion dollars.
