Kane to the rescue as England squeeze past DR Congo

Gary Lineker, Micah Richards, Joe Cole, Brad Friedel and Rob Beckett react to England's 2-1 win over DR Congo thanks to a late brace from Harry Kane - should we be worried about that performance or is relying on your world class players to get you over the line perfectly acceptable? Micah and Gary have different views... We also look at the USA's victory over Bosnia with Brad and assess their chances of progressing further in the competition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Hi, this is Gary Lineker from Goalhangers, the rest is football. This episode is brought to you by Wise. It's only when you start moving money between currencies that you really think about the exchange rate, the fee, and what might be hidden away in the small print. Whether you're living abroad, paying someone overseas, or just trying to manage your money across borders, you want a fair exchange rate, an easy transfer, and no surprises along the way. Wise keeps things simple. Wise is a smart way to move the currencies you need around the globe. It works in more than 160 countries and with over 40 currencies. Most transfers arrive instantly. Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate, like the one you see on Google, with no markups or hidden fees.

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• 4:08Speaker 00

  Hello and welcome to The Rest Is Football with me, Gary Lineker. On today's episode, obviously we're going to discuss the fact that England are through to the last 16 of the World Cup. To discuss that with me, we've got Micah Richards, Rob Beckett, Brad Friedel and Joe Cole. And don't forget, if you prefer to watch the show, it's on Netflix every day. Kane and Bellingham are our two superstars and most teams rely on those big moments, big moments players.

• 4:38Speaker 05

  That's why I think we've got a chance because you've got two of your best players at the top of their powers. Forget everyone else, Declan's a little bit off, he's carrying something, you know, we're not really, we don't look like we're assured at the back, but you've got two best players firing, so you're going into the last 16, you've got a chance.

• 4:55Speaker 01

  Are you surprised Manu hasn't come on at all?

• 4:57Speaker 05

  We said today, we thought he'd come on when we needed to find a pass. But what I would say with Tuchel, he said before the tournament started, 15 or 16 players, he makes the same substitutions, he's got a way of playing and he could have quite easily panicked today and thrown Ollie Watkins on or Ivan Tony. I was panicking. At one point, we were talking about who's the next England manager? Is it Eddie Howe? It's before the hydration break. It's before the hydration break, we're trying to change the manager.

• 5:23Speaker 00

  Micah, it was obviously a slow start for England and, you know, and we were all getting a little bit edgy, but I think after the, you know, hydration break, stroke commercial break, he did make a difference. He made a difference again in the second half with his changes and the hydration. And I think that's really important as an aspect of what happened today because he was on the brink probably of getting Eddie Howe the job.

• 5:52Speaker 00

  Well, you guys, I think...

• 5:55Speaker 00

  Against Ghana, against Panama, you were saying it was gonna get better. And I don't wanna debate with you, but I'm still not seeing good enough signs. And I'd like you to put your point across in terms of, do you think this team can get better? Do you think they're gonna grow into the tournament from the evidence that you've seen in the first four games? Yes, I think so. I think, I was encouraged by today's display. A lot of people weren't. I was. I think it was a poor start, first 15-20 minutes, but I think they were thrown by the goal. I think they were thrown by the goal. It had a little bit of a setback. Then you had the little break, and then after that, I thought, actually, the last two thirds of the match, I thought England played pretty well, created a lot of chances.

• 6:39Speaker 00

  I know it's not the greatest opposition, but they still, you know, you have to respect them. They're very well organised. They hardly had any chances against England. They had the one that they hit the post, where they hit the post. But you're gonna, that's gonna happen in games. We always think, I think, when we're watching England, that we should score loads of goals and not concede any chances whatsoever. I think there were a lot of encouraging signs in that display. I thought we were on the front foot, we had to be. I thought our centre forward was superb, his changes were really good. All in all, I was encouraged by that display. And we're gonna play matches in the World Cup, and you can grow in the tournament. So I'm actually mildly encouraged.

• 7:25Speaker 00

  Obviously, you can look at things like, well, on the counter, we looked a little bit troubled. But you've got to remember, we played nearly all that game. We're chasing the goal. So you're gonna leave spaces at the back. You've got to take chances under those circumstances, which you perhaps wouldn't take against perhaps better opposition, or also if you're not trailing. Joe, I don't...

• 7:46Speaker 05

  No, I agree. I think, you know, if you're Thomas Tuchel, the one thing that England have struggled with is when you have to play with fear. You're 1-0 down to Congo, and you're the player that 15 minutes in, you're thinking, if we don't win this game, we'll be ridiculed. It's another Iceland thing. And so they mentally have to go over that hurdle. And I thought they played with composure, they made chances. The goalkeeper for Congo was unbelievable, right? So I think, if I'm Thomas Tuchel now... That like you're relieved, you're relieved, but you're coming into the dressing room and you and I'm and I'm going to the lads, you showed massive bollocks there.

• 8:20Speaker 00

  Correct.

• 8:21Speaker 05

  You you you you stuck together, you kept going and that will help England going into the tournament because they got over a hurdle there for sure.

• 8:28Speaker 00

  I'm encouraged with England in a different way because I've I've co-commentated in a couple of their games now. They really struggled against the low block. As you go on in the tournament, you're not playing teams that sit in a low block.

• 8:41Speaker 05

  That's all done now.

• 8:41Speaker 00

  And that's and that's their strengths. They're going to go to Mexico City. Mexicans Mexicans are going to come flying at them. And they're going to be able to use their strengths and have Bellingham drive with the ball. Have whoever plays in the wing drive with the ball and then they'll be able to service Kane. I think that'll suit them a lot more. And they could have scored four or five if it weren't those two saves from Bellingham's headers, you know. I mean, the goalkeeper can make great saves. Also, I think it's important to mention that England should have had a penalty. Now, I think V R have had a terrible couple of days. It's three decisions in today's, the games that we've just seen. Yeah. Um, I, and you know, this, obviously the Harry Kane one, it was clearly, I am. Nailed on penalty and that changes things.

• 9:20Speaker 05

  Nailed on as a penalty, as you'll see in World Cup. Going through on goal. Like, the whole point of having the rules of football is like, if you make a mistake, as the goalie did, he come out, he's in no man's land. He knows as soon as the goalie's out there, I'm never going to get there. Harry Kane, he's, all he's done is gone, right, I'm just going to wait a little bit. I've already knocked it past him. The referee's got it wrong.

• 9:40Speaker 00

  And the goalkeeper put his hand out first. That was the mistake instead of pulling away right away.

• 9:45Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 9:45Speaker 00

  He put the hand out first, flipped him, then pulled it. Mike is huffing and puffing in the background there. It's like a bonanza.

• 9:54Speaker 00

  I agree with what, I agree with a lot of what you guys said in terms of having that courage. And when you go one down and fighting back and all that sort of thing. If we if we don't have Harry Kane, we we don't win.

• 10:09Speaker 05

  But we have got Harry Kane.

• 10:10Speaker 00

  It's a simple. It's the same.

• 10:13Speaker 01

  Same for Argentina and Messi, it's the same, it's the same for France and Mbappe, well maybe a little less because of Oleksiy Dembele.

• 10:19Speaker 00

  Right, let's put this into context. We have played probably 90 minutes of decent football. Let's have it right, we can all look at the game, we can all analyse the game. And second half against Croatia, absolutely fabulous. Take what you guys say in terms of the conviction, the rotations, really good. And then you go into the next game against Ghana, the game wasn't great at all. You can say low block all we want, or whatever, but England should be able to break down a low block. And then you go into Panama, it's more of the same. You're relying on individual brilliance to get you over the line.

• 10:59Speaker 00

  And then you go against DR Congo, if the opposition was a higher ranked team, I would take your points definitely. But the defence and the midfield is so disorganised, it's unreal. They don't know if they're staying or they don't know if they're going. The conundrum at right back is really frustrating me. And we've constantly talked about players who are not there, and we won't have to do that. But the fact that obviously Liver mento gets injured, Spence is a left back all season, then he's played right back. Now we're talking about Shulconza playing in that position. It's almost like we're creating our own problems from within.

• 11:40Speaker 00

  And I tell you now, if we continue to play like we are playing, then we're not getting to the final. I take your point with the first 20 minutes, 25 minutes of that game. In fact, Jude Bellingham's 30th minute header, where the keeper made a good save, was England's first shot in the game. Their longest wait for a first attempt on record in a FIFA World Cup match. But I think after that, I think they were shook by the goal a little bit, which is not necessarily a good thing. And I get your point in midfield, but you're chasing the game and you're bombing players. I would like to see a change when, I think they will change a little bit if England play against, you know, perhaps the more favoured opposition, the tides.

• 12:23Speaker 00

  That might go all the way in this competition, he might think about his midfield a little bit more because at the moment it's a little bit all over the shop because I'm not sure Anderson's a holder really and I think Bellingham's obviously a bomb and he's playing at 10, he's all over the place. Rice is a runner up and down and I just wonder whether he might, I mean, the interesting thing for me is, I like Declan Rice as a fullback option. You could then play Anderson and Maynu, which will give you a much more steady midfield and you can play Bellingham as a free role. He won't do that, but I'm just saying there are options and until you play someone any good, you don't know how he's going to set up.

• 13:04Speaker 00

  You could also play Rodgers and Bellingham as two going forward against the low blocks. Yeah, but you're not going to do that, you're not going to do that now. Isn't it insane that we're trying to work out who's in the starting 11 now? Well, we are, but Thomas Tuchel knows his starting 11. Does he? Well, he has done, he's changed it around a bit, but they all do that in tournaments. That's the nature of tournament football. Mad. What's five, five right backs? Are we, are we really talking about putting Rice right back though? Come on, I know he did well when he- Rice back, that's his name almost. No, no, we can't be having Declan Rice right back. It's, it's, it's absolute, it worked today, I agree with you. I, I agree with you. After the game, he said he didn't want to play there. It works because he's got the energy and for the goal, that underlapping

• 13:47Speaker 00

  run, he, he has got that quality. But you miss his engine in the midfield against Mexico, you, you need him in that, in that central area. I personally would go maybe Spence again, but tell him just, you're not going forward. Or I would play Konzer right back, play Stones and play Gaye. I, I think England against Mexico, even though Brad made a really good point, I think Mexico are going to come out the blocks, that's going to be at the Azteca, they're going to be on the front foot, all those sort of things. But England are not good enough to go forward with both full backs and get back in. That's what I've learned from today's game. I think they need more stability at the back.

• 14:28Speaker 05

  And they need protection, the backline need.

• 14:31Speaker 00

  I agree with that, I agree with that. I think they need a little bit more protection in front of them and I think that will come in, as they grow into the tournament. You, you mentioned Spence there, I mean, it seemed like Thomas Tuchel was constantly berating him from the sidelines. You, you could see it most of the time. It reminded me a little bit, did you ever have that Joe when a manager on the sideline give you an obolism?

• 14:56Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 14:57Speaker 00

  You must have done, maybe with Jose.

• 14:58Speaker 05

  With Mourinho. Like, we, we used to play a system at Chelsea where, like, you play a left winger and a right winger, but we were allowed to swap. So, you know, it was me, Robben, Duff, me, right, Phillips. But when Jose was at it and he was screaming, like, you'd be just going fucking stand on the other side. He'd be fucking screaming.

• 15:17Speaker 00

  What is he saying though?

• 15:18Speaker 05

  I don't know to this day. I just go, yeah, I just kept my thumbs up.

• 15:21Speaker 00

  I had, I had one when I was, I was, I, the one thing I used to hate was managers screaming from the touchline. So I think I know my job better than they know how to play my job. And, and they, they talk a great game, but they don't know how hard it is. I remember one, one game, I can't remember where we were playing, but the pitch was crap. It was bouncing all over the place. Bobby Robson was, was the manager. And I had a similar thing with Terry Venables as well, but, and I felt bad afterwards. But, you know, he's got, the ball got knocked in, it's like knocked in at the speed of time. He's bounced up, his pit up on my chest, bounced off. I've got big centre off smashing me in the back. And Bobby said, Gary, hold it up, hold it up. And I snapped and went, you fucking try holding it up?

• 16:04Speaker 05

  I can't believe you said that to Bobby Robson.

• 16:09Speaker 00

  And I felt really bad after because Bobby's so lovely, but it's, it's like, I mean.

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• 18:15Speaker 00

  Brad, I mean, Jordan Pickford, I know you're a fan because we did something before the start of the tournament. And you picked out who you thought might get the Golden Glove, and you said, "Jordan Pickford." Probably made a mistake in the first goal today. Unlike him, I would say, but... Jordan Pickford, when he first, when he first came on the scene, wasn't, wasn't my favorite. In the last four or five years, he's really won me over. Yeah. I think he's, I think he's been... Been brilliant. Unfortunately today it was a goalkeeper mistake and he'll know that as well. I think defensively centre-back got sucked in and right-back gets pulled over. There's a lot that was wrong with it. But if you look at it technically from a goalkeeper, he just took too high of a jump, his feet weren't set and then he hit it with pace

• 18:58Speaker 00

  and pace will beat you anywhere when your feet aren't set. I've made the mistake before and when you win, you're relieved. You make the mistake and you lose, you're devastated. The first goal in the tournament, I think he could have saved, I'm not so sure he should have saved. But he's had a couple of other nervy moments. At Ghana game, I think he got fortunate, he was a little hesitant. So this isn't really the Jordan Pickford that I've seen play with Everton the last two or three years and with England because Everton's been under a lot of pressure and Jordan Pickford's been the one that's been consistently making the saves. We all make mistakes, but when goalkeepers do it. Yeah, but this is starting, I mean it's three of the four games have been a little, there's been a moment in each of them.

• 19:41Speaker 00

  Rob, I want to ask you, because you're an Arsenal fan.

• 19:44Speaker 05

  Yes.

• 19:44Speaker 00

  It's amazing how many Arsenal fans are coming out now, out of the woodwork. We've got so many in this show. You said you were Palace.

• 19:51Speaker 05

  Well, I should be Palace really, that's my local club. But I love Dean Wright and then we got Sky and watched the football and watched, I fell in love with Dean Wright.

• 19:58Speaker 00

  You just love Crystal Palace.

• 20:00Speaker 05

  I do like them as well, but you can't really move back, they won't let you do that.

• 20:02Speaker 00

  You asked me about Saka, because he's had a few injuries this season, obviously they're carrying him a little bit. That's a concern, isn't it?

• 20:10Speaker 05

  Yeah, I mean, he looked great when he came on, but hopefully if they're just using him for that impact towards the end. But like, all season he's looked like he's been carrying something and he's dragged it out through the World Cup. But he gives us something a bit different. Obviously, you know, Gordon Rashford and Madueke will just get down the wing, they want to get across him. But you can cut in and play little balls which can open them up. But I thought he played well when he came on, Saka off it was good. And Gordon was great as well.

• 20:32Speaker 00

  Do you think it's a tactical thing or do you think he's genuinely doing it? Do you think he likes Madueke because he bombs a little bit? I think he likes Madueke. A touch more than Saka. And I think that's obviously Thomas Tuchel is watching training, he's watching every minute of every game. I agree, I think Saka looks like he's not the Saka of a year ago, eight months ago. But he's so good and he's done so well. Why do you think he perhaps prefers Madueke? I think Madueke has got a little bit more power in his running and he'll run behind Harry Kane. I think it's either or for me, he'll go with whoever and at the moment I think he thinks Madueke's in a little bit more form than Saka.

• 21:13Speaker 00

  But for sure, he's gonna play one and the other one's gonna come on at 60 minutes and that's just...

• 21:18Speaker 05

  Saka always just cuts in as well, Madueke gets some cross but...

• 21:22Speaker 00

  Madueke's done alright, he's got a lot of stick but he's got crosses in.

• 21:24Speaker 01

  I thought Madueke was better when they brought him on the left against Ghana. He actually went by and got a couple of crosses.

• 21:30Speaker 00

  I'm really pleased for Anthony Gordon today coming on because I thought in the first two games, it's his big chance. Yes. And he fluffed his lines a little bit, so he needed that game. Two assists. Yeah, and the first time, I thought he looked nervous and one of the things I like about Anthony Gordon is he plays with his personality. And I thought he'd go to the World Cup because he's a Scouse and he's a bit of a lad, I thought he'd go and go, "Give me the ball, I'm signing for Barcelona." But he actually looked nervous, so I think today would have done the world of good and he'll go and get that swagger back. And you know, I think it's just who do you start, him or Marcus? You're not happy with the balance, Micah, I understand that, I understand that. But I tend to try and watch your matches though, I'm not an England fan, which is impossible because I am.

• 22:14Speaker 00

  But I try and look at it as though I was watching another side playing against someone. And I looked at that game today and I think if I'd have been watching France or, not France because France are exceptional, but Brazil or someone like that, I'd go, "It's coming, the goal's coming, the goal's coming." But I understand your points, I totally get it and I think we do look vulnerable to the counter attacks etc. What would you do against Mexico differently than Tuchel's doing now? I'd play a low block, I'd play a low block.

• 22:46Speaker 05

  I swear, I swear, Mexico are a good team.

• 22:49Speaker 00

  I know.

• 22:50Speaker 05

  Remember Mora, who we discussed earlier on, when we was doing the shows? He's, he's doing really well.

• 22:56Speaker 00

  Seventeen years old, Micah.

• 22:57Speaker 05

  If that's how you pronounce it. Sorry?

• 22:59Speaker 00

  Seventeen years old. He was absolutely superb, Gilberto Mora, wasn't he?

• 23:05Speaker 05

  Well, well, if you listened to me, I did give him, I give his age and all that. I give the stats all beforehand, but he wasn't listening to this on the show.

• 23:11Speaker 00

  Micah, I'm always listening to you.

• 23:13Speaker 05

  You want to jump on the back of a man like everyone else?

• 23:14Speaker 00

  Oh, thanks. It's right now, Mike. You're getting on my nerves now. You're off. Bye bye. Oh, the button, oh, it is working. That's good.

• 23:21Speaker 01

  You know, Mexico.

• 23:23Speaker 00

  So I'm going to bring him back because I feel bad because it's late, it's late. So I'm going to bring him back.

• 23:27Speaker 01

  When Mexico plays.

• 23:28Speaker 00

  Finish, finish your point, Micah, and then we'll come to you, Brad.

• 23:32Speaker 05

  No, I mean, I wouldn't go low block. I, I just feel as though we, we were searching for the right formula to break team down. I think Brad's totally right in, in terms of the way Mexico are going to set up. They're going to come out a lot more. So there, there are going to be spaces for England to exploit. That's, that's a fact. However, I don't trust us enough defensively. I feel as though because we're expecting Bellingham to make them runs forward and Rice has always got the energy where he wants to get involved. I don't think the, the balance of the midfield is right. I think all three of our midfielders are best positions are number eights.

• 24:15Speaker 05

  So they're all trying to go, they're all trying to chase the ball when they lose it, which leaving massive gaps to an inexperienced backline with Konzer, Aguehe, a Spence and O'Reilly. So I would, I would go back to basics defensively and just go at the right times in terms of one.

• 24:37Speaker 06

  Fullback at a time and then the other fullback. It was a bit too all over the place. I I would want my wingers, Gordon, if it's Gordon, if it's Rashford, it's Saka or Madweke to have the the confidence to take someone on and then wait for the support later. I feel as though today it was, he's gonna go there, we're gonna try breakdown, Diakongo, and everything's just all over the place. I think we need a little bit more structure to play against Mexico. That's how we'll get.

• 25:08Speaker 00

  Okay, thanks Mike.

• 25:10Speaker 05

  Low block, not a 1am for the UK audience.

• 25:13Speaker 00

  Low block.

• 25:14Speaker 05

  1am, low block against Mexico.

• 25:19Speaker 01

  Mexico is so average.

• 25:20Speaker 05

  If we lose, then a low block.

• 25:22Speaker 00

  Hang on, hang on mate, this is a neutral voice here.

• 25:24Speaker 01

  Mexico is so average. I've I've played against them for years.

• 25:28Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 25:29Speaker 01

  I know what they do, because they're playing in altitude, they look faster than everybody.

• 25:35Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 25:35Speaker 01

  They are, if they're outside of Mexico, I know.

• 25:38Speaker 00

  But they're not.

• 25:38Speaker 01

  I know, they're in Mexico, but there's something, there's something to this. They're they're an average team, below average actually. They are so beatable and their fans get on them. If England go there, I don't care whether they play a low block, a high block, anything, they score first, just get through the first 15 to 20 minutes and they will win the game.

• 25:57Speaker 00

  Low block for 20 minutes.

• 25:58Speaker 01

  No, anything, just whatever, just don't concede for the first goal. What they try to do is suffocate you so you can't get your second breath. And then they try to press them, they try to press. Just look at their games that they've played. They've they've created five chances in each of the games, but the players are are dead after 20 minutes because they're always fighting this uphill battle. The altitude's no joke, the heat is no joke. It's hard, but England are so much better than Mexico. It it it and it would be.

• 26:27Speaker 00

  Brad, you're coming back.

• 26:30Speaker 01

  No, it would be a complete shame if they if they were knocked out because of altitude.

• 26:35Speaker 00

  Brad, I want to ask you about the US. I mean, they've gone through, comfortable victory. Balogun got sent, I want to talk to that first. I mean, I thought, I felt for him badly. He got the red card, he looked like all he was trying to do was put his foot on the floor. And it's another terrible VAR intervention.

• 26:55Speaker 01

  I think the referees have had a disaster recently. Balogun, if you know him, first of all, he's not nasty. He doesn't go with the challenge. No, and they're winning the game. And he just did exactly as you said, he just put his foot down. And he didn't even know the player's ankle was there. Unfortunate, and I'm sure it didn't feel nice, but no sending off. But they've gotten, and it's VAR, has gotten, I think.

• 27:24Speaker 00

  You know what it is, I think over the first week or two of the tournament, VAR has stayed out of things largely. And I think we've all been really encouraged by that, but you know what they're like, they're sitting in their little room there, and suddenly they're getting a bit bored. And they think they want to make a difference. It's almost like a natural human reaction. And slow motions, we need to ban super slow motions for the VARs because it makes everything, you can read anything into it. It was the same thing in the other game, the penalty, which we'll come to in a bit, but I thought, again, super slow motions when you just, actually just, there's an impact, I hate it.

• 28:03Speaker 01

  Paraguay, Germany.

• 28:04Speaker 00

  Yeah, Paraguay, Germany, we talked about that.

• 28:07Speaker 01

  He tried to calm the ref initially.

• 28:10Speaker 05

  I feel like refs, they want to have an impact on the game, you know, to be a ref, you've got to want attention. It's like being a politician. Well, they've got their names on their backs now. They've got their names on their backs, they've got RefCam. I think that's why they were quiet at the start, they felt seen. They've got their name on their back, got RefCam, and now they're like, no, actually, I want to have an impact.

• 28:25Speaker 01

  The best ones don't.

• 28:26Speaker 05

  I know, but then, you know.

• 28:28Speaker 01

  But you don't always get the best ones.

• 28:29Speaker 00

  Brad, America, right, so I'm walking around here, and Americans are convinced you can win it.

• 28:35Speaker 01

  No.

• 28:36Speaker 00

  Where do you think, as a proper football man, what's path of the course for America?

• 28:40Speaker 01

  Okay, so we're playing Belgium next, right?

• 28:43Speaker 00

  Yep, that's winnable.

• 28:44Speaker 01

  It is winnable. If teams have pace against us, so you saw Bosnia largely made Christian Pulisic non-existent today. Which he looked really quick against Paraguay. When two players from Belgium that worry me if they play are Doku and Luka Baric. If they play, they cause us

• 29:05Speaker 05

  Didn't they beat US 5-2?

• 29:07Speaker 01

  5-2

• 29:08Speaker 05

  Yeah, in a friendly just before

• 29:09Speaker 01

  In a friendly, yeah, and those players have ran and ran and ran. And what it does is it negates Freeman's pace, Robinson's pace, Duss's pace and Pulisic's pace. And if you kill that pace, then we have a hard, we have a hard time creating it.

• 29:24Speaker 00

  But what's par for the course for, for, because every country's got par.

• 29:27Speaker 01

  No, right now, I mean for me.

• 29:29Speaker 05

  Yeah, anything above this would be good, wouldn't it?

• 29:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, I wanted to get out of the group and I wanted to finish first or second for a favorable draw.

• 29:36Speaker 05

  And win a knockout game, yeah.

• 29:37Speaker 01

  And win it, correct, and, and we've done that. And now, like it's, if we lose to Belgium and we play well, then that's where we are. If we beat them, then the likelihood is play Spain and we probably get knocked out there. But as long as we, as long as we give a great account of ourselves, which we will, Mauricio Pochettino, it's not like we're gonna go to play Belgium or Spain and we're gonna lose 6-0, that's not gonna happen.

• 30:01Speaker 05

  They, they, they've not really got into it, the American, like I was in Atlanta filming a couple of weeks ago, host city, no one really cared, like the main public, Knicks winning the, the championships was a much bigger thing.

• 30:12Speaker 01

  It was the worst day of my life, stuck in that parade.

• 30:15Speaker 05

  I just wanted to ask Brad, out of all the American players, who do you think's got the most ability? I know a lot of people talk about Pulisic, Captain America,

• 30:24Speaker 00

  but you've got some good players in that squad now, who's the best for you?

• 30:28Speaker 01

  Always for me, I, I coached a lot of these guys with the under 19 national team, Weston McKinney is the guy. When, when he's on it, he, he enjoys both sides of life and he's a great kid, he's a great character.

• 30:42Speaker 05

  Love him already, great name.

• 30:44Speaker 01

  And he is, but when he's, when he's on it, which he is right now, you can tell with his fitness, he's our most influential player. Off the field as a captain type player, Tyler

• 30:55Speaker 05

  Adams is, but Wes with the ability and he's really versatile. He can play, as you've seen with Juventus, he's pretty much played every position except goalkeeper, but he's the guy, Micah.

• 31:08Speaker 00

  That's it for this episode of The Rest Is Football. We'll be back in a few days. England are on the march.

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