BERHALTER OUT; WHO SHOULD BE NEXT USMNT MANAGER? 🇺🇸

Hail GFOP!

I type with fingers filled with grief and mourning. It has been a week since we buried my father. A remarkable period of our lives in which time has melted, as family and friends from all over England – and from all parts of my past – have traveled down to my parents’ home to lift our spirits and mark my Dad’s memory, in the most joyful and profound way. My Dad was a true English character who lived life with commitment, curiosity, and love. He lived a long time and passed on without pain, so this moment has felt like a celebration of his journey which was a passionate one, and the lessons about life we have all learned from being with him along the way. 

Football has played a remarkable role in it all. My Dad loved Everton deeply and adored sharing that love with my kids. He firmly believed that the team’s losing – or as he preferred to call it, “Non-Winning” – was good preparation for the rest of life. That it hardened you for the rigors and low points of the real world. He used to say that Everton taught you never to take any crevice of positivity for granted and that “any win should be celebrated as if you were dancing at your own child’s wedding.” After the funeral, seconds after we had buried my old man, my eldest kid Samson turned to me and said, “Thank God Grandpa never saw Everton relegated from the Premier League in his lifetime.” A comment which felt both meaningless and profoundly meaningful in equal measure. 

The Euros have been a remarkable respite, offering a sense of connection to the outside world, fleetingly shattering the numbness of mourning. I am not an England fan, but I know my Dad would have gleaned such delight from their defiant run to the final so I am cheering for them with all my might. My auntie told a story of how her family knew my Dad was the right man for their sister — when he watched England win the 1966 World Cup with them in a local hotel, and screamed for each goal in such an authentic joy they all fell in love with him. To be honest, I do not know what happens when someone dies, but wherever he is on Sunday, I do believe my Dad will be screaming for Jordan Pickford with all of his heart. 

b. I have been profoundly moved by how many of you have taken time to drop me a line with deep and wise messages. I am so grateful, I am digging out and will try to reply to as many as possible as soon as possible, but my gratitude is there. The greatness of sports in general, and football in particular, is the cross-generational memories it allows us to experience and forge. Savor every second within your own families. Do not take a single match for granted. And when a footballer scores a goal in the last minute of the first half, or the first minute of the second, remember that my Dad used to believe that it was the most effective time to score. His logic was as follows: a goal netted in the 46th minute, right after the second half has kicked off, instantly scuttles the tactical plan unfurled by the opposing coach in the locker room during the break. One tallied in the 44th minute forces the manager to tear up that halftime speech and improvise a new one on the fly. Please note: my father had a very dim view of football managers collective IQ levels and ability to speak extemporaneously. May the memory of “Judge Ivor Bennett Time” burn bright forever. 

More: I taped this Podcast special with my Dad a couple of years ago. It tells the story of why our family became Evertonians, and how my Dad came to realize Everton “not winning” was good for life. Also: How he coped with my brother Nige becoming a Red. I will treasure this podcast forever. 

2. Important dates for your Diary 👀

i. WE WILL “MANNINGCAST” THE USWNT THIS TUESDAY NIGHT WITH TNT Sports – I will join Sam Mewis and a ton of guests, including my friend Becky Sauerbrunn, to alt-cast the Olympic-bound USWNT against Costa Rica on truTV. The best Tru since Spandau Ballet. You can watch the entire match with us on TruTV at 7:30 p.m. ET. Sam and Rog (and our other great guests) will be there with you through all 90 minutes. Come watch the game with us and help send our USWNT over to Paris in style. 📺

ii. VANCOUVER! WE ARE COMING TO YOU. Join us for a magical night living out the greatest piece of Wrexham storytelling North America has ever seen. Together we’ll reflect on the triumphs of the last season on stage with those who created them, including Head Coach Phil Parkinson, Executive Director Humphrey Ker, and some of your favorite first team players. Come celebrate one of the most narrative-filled rises in global football with those who are fueling the Wrexham revolution. Tickets are available NOW and you can grab yours RIGHT HERE. 🇨🇦

iii. DALLAS. We will be in your vast magical kingdom celebrating the Copa Final. Come and watch with us and Dallas Cowboys kicker and former MLS footballer Brandon Aubrey, and Mexican legend Luis ‘El Matador’ Hernández. It goes down Sunday, July 14 at 6 p.m. local time at Mayer’s Garden, on North Henderson Avenue in Dallas. Totally Free. Just come and be with us and give me a hug DFW. 🤠

Also: Lovely piece on MiB’s take on this summer in GQ.

3. To the Football: Euro Final. Spain v. England Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX 🇪🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏆

A resilient England head to Berlin for their second successive final, and once again face their greatest challenge – the weight of history. They are only going to go and do this aren’t they? To self-loath their way to glory. To finally have football come home, but play so poorly, that they are told how crap they are, even in the moment of glory, which might just be the most British thing that ever Britished. Ollie Watkins has become an instant national hero, yet Gareth Southgate’s journey through this tournament – from ridicule, and beer cup-target, to near national hero warranting a new deal, has been humanly remarkable to witness. Forget tactics, data, or set pieces, Man has lived out an entire Rudyard Kipling poem, “keeping his head when all about you, Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.” Victory for England will turn loathing into love, a remarkable achievement for an Englishman – this nation traditionally only values tearing down its heroes. Now there is talk of him being a transformational leader and rebranding patriotism.

Basque-propelled Spain will be a daunting opponent. The most cohesive team in the tournament, propelled by the incandescent speed of Nico Williams and child-hero Lamine Yamal, who turns 17 tomorrow, and has been akin to watching Joan of Arc in cleats. A teen-leader whom grown, battle-hardened men believe in and follow into battle. Alvaro Morata is thankfully fit after his collision with an overly zealous security guard. They will not fear England whatsoever. The battle for control of midfield will be everything. Rice and the sensationally unbothered Mainoo grappling hand to hand with Rodri, that footballing Arc of the Covenant, will determine the game. 

More: Jonathan Liew on Harry Kane.

And: Has this been a good tournament anyway? (FWIW, I have LOVED it)

🍻Join me at the final whistle with Brendan Hunt on our YOUTUBE PAGE. Subscribe and make sure notifications are turned on so you know when we go live. 

4. Copa America Final: Argentina v. Colombia Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, FOX 🇦🇷🇨🇴🏆

Get ready for your last blast of Lalas, America. The two best teams in the tournament collide in Miami. Fifteen-time Copa winner Argentina are looking to go back-to-back with a World Cup in between as the filling of their Messi-inspired Glory Sandwich. Colombia are on a historic, magical 28 game-unbeaten run. America winners Argentina have proven to be a combination of futbol arte and futbol força, able to skillfully slice a team apart, they can shithouse with the best of them. Argentina are heavily favored – mostly because Messi and the fact the tournament has pretty much been scheduled with a thumb on the scale to deliver them to the final with the kindest travel schedule. Make no mistake, Colombia are a true collective fist, eminently capable of winning this game. 

More: Herculez Gomez joined me to preview the entire game (We also talk some Gregg). 

One sour note: The Copa has been quite a bust from a marketing perspective, playing to the bubble of pre-extant Copa fans in the United States – and Messi fanboys. But failing to capture the imagination of the wider audience outside of football fanatics to grow the game. The Euros has outrated the Copa by some measure on FOX, averaging double the viewers.

5. Berhalter is OUT. Who will be the next USMNT Manager? 🇺🇸😢

After firing Gregg on Wednesday night, US Soccer must now quickly determine the identity of the next US Men’s National Team Coach, who will lead the team on their journey into World Cup 2026 on home turf. This decision promises to be the most romantic rose ceremony yet. It will also be the most crucial appointment in US Men’s football history. Simply put: they cannot miss this time around. 

I have spoken a lot about this challenging moment this week in a deep dive into how we arrived here, the lessons we must learn, and what should be done now. I find it very painful and sad. The sense of disappointment. The sense of a massive opportunity squandered. A general sense of bemusement as to why Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Georgia and Turkey can all give their fans something to feel great about, but never us. The re-appointment of Gregg Berhalter did not make coherent sense the way US Soccer’s Technical Director Matt Crocker explained it. ESPN is now reporting there is ”grumbling from some US Soccer board members that Crocker should have been fired too” for re-hiring Gregg in the first place. To me this young US team needs a tactically savvy-voice of experience who has led a team into a deep run in international football. Whether they love him or not is immaterial. This is not a popularity contest. The players just need to believe and respect him. It is also irrelevant whether the manager is American. Winning is the most American thing of all. And that is all the fans care about. 

More: Our show on who should replace Gregg Berhalter and what we should learn from this moment. I also talked about this with Dan Patrick (before Jurgen Klopp pulled out) and Rich Eisen afterwards.

PricePicks. Best PP since Parker Posey

Charlie Kipp Writes: This Sunday, for one final time (on the men’s side) this Summer, we have major, competitive football. Let’s cherish it, celebrate it and - obviously, Pick It. The Euros and Copa have provided moments of joy, agony and everything in between and if you are using PrizePicks to enhance your match-viewing experience, you have felt all of those emotions to the maximum. Looking ahead to Sunday - how about we find one last winner: Dani Olmo MORE on Shots on Target. 

While the exact square hasn’t been created yet, all the evidence suggests that this stat will be set at 1.5 shots on target, a figure that I expect the 26-year-old Catalonian to exceed in this major moment. Olmo - much unlike his decade-younger-teammate Lamine Yamal - has taken the road less traveled to become one of the more unlikely stars of this Euros. Born in Catalonia, Olmo trained in the youth academies on Espanyol and La Masia at Barcelona before his natural move at age 17 to… wait checks notes Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia? Yes - looking for immediate playing time to develop his career (PSA: USMNT players) Olmo moved to the Croatian giants where he hit the ground running, and learned to speak fluent Croatian, before another former-Eastern Bloc stop at RB Leipzig. This tournament - he has been everywhere for a Spain team firing on all cylinders, and I don’t see that changing in the Final. Whatever the square for Olmo Shots on Target lands at, hop on that MORE.

If you haven’t joined PrizePicks, CLICK HERE and use code MiB for a first deposit match up to $100.

6. USWNT charge into action vs. Mexico and then Costa Rica 🇺🇸🇲🇽🇨🇷

The USWNT will look to enact revenge on the Mexico side that outplayed and beat them back in March in the first of their two Olympic send off matches. Emma Hayes' 18 player squad hosts El Tri Femenil at Red Bull Arena Saturday (3.30 p.m. ET, TNT) before taking on 44th ranked Costa Rica Tuesday at Audi Field (7.30 p.m. ET, TNT). With just nine days between Tuesday's match and their Olympic opener against Barbara Banda and Zambia, these sendoff games (games #3 and 4 of Emma Hayes' tenure) mark the last opportunity for this young squad, almost half of whom are making their tournament debuts, to play together before heading to Paris. 

👀 Tune into Saturday's game for celebrations with the 99ers: 25th anniversary of USWNT's '99 World Cup win shows progress.

REMEMBER: We will be on TruTV for an Alt-Cast LIVE during the Costa Rica Game on Tuesday July 16th. You can watch the entire match with us on TruTV at 7:30 p.m. ET. Sam and Rog (and our other great guests). Join us in celebrating our USWNT before they jet off to Paris.

THIS WEEK AT MEN IN BLAZERS HQ

🧡 This Sunday, we will Do it Live! with our mate, Brendan Hunt. He of Coach Beard fame who has ridden with us throughout this entire competition, joining us live on stage and on various Do it Lives! Look for us right after the final whistle on our YOUTUBE PAGE. Subscribe and make sure notifications are turned on so you know when we go live. 

🇺🇸 And we want to thank the GFOPs at BMW for making all of our Do It Live! work possible this summer. They also powered our Ultimate Road to Glory series, in which we traveled to four Copa America host cities and chronicled their football history, their culture, and their BBQ. Enjoy our episodes on Charlotte, Atlanta, Kansas City and Dallas. To get to travel this country and explore these great cities was the honor of a lifetime. 

💪 With two tournaments ending, another one is about to begin. That is right, it is almost Olympics Time, America. The sun never sets on football. And we celebrated our US Women and Men this week in a special Summer Sendoff Show, Presented by Coca Cola. Watch The Women’s Game Editor–in-Chief Sam Mewis INTERVIEW EMMA HAYES HERE. Also, chats with Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Horan and Crystal Dunn. Watch those HERE. 

🚨 Talking of Olympics, a brand new episode of American Dreams Superior Conversations, Presented by ULTRA just dropped. It features USWNT defender, breakout star Jenna Nighswonger. LISTEN HERE.

7. Not Football, and All the Better for it

i. Everybody say, "Thank you Miley!" Welcome to the Hannah Montana Generation of Pop Music.

ii. Remember the name: THE PAIGE BUECKERS EDIT.

iii. How Celebrity Book Clubs Actually Work. Need a Celebrity Newsletter Club to pick The Raven.

iv. I drove a Cybertruck around SF because I am a smart, cool alpha male. I'm sure Cybertruck drivers will be totally normal about this...

v. Chess Players Wonder if Being a Grandmaster Still Has Meaning. Chess' equivalent of "Is INSERT PLAYER World Class?"

vi. Here are 43 pieces of travel advice, and also 43 things you and your companions can argue about while traveling.

vii. This story has everything: the Holy Grail, MI6 agents, international intrigue, and potentially magical sofa stuffing: The Queen of Cups.

viii. Grab your headphones: The nearly forgotten story of the 'Born in the U.S.A.' remixes. 

ix. “I have one rule for my EA Music team: If it’s on the radio, it’s too late.” Is the evolution of the FIFA game soundtracks a reflection of our changing views of masculinity? 

x. Four and three and two and one! "Yas Queen!": The Oral History of Broad City.

xi. Why Men Are ‘Rawdogging’ Flights. Hard to say what is more disturbing... the trend or the name... 

xii. The True Story of Bruno Caboclo: The NBA Draft’s Last Mystery Man. Sixteen days away from being 10 years away. 

xiii. Is Italy Scamming the World With Ciabatta Bread? Is the proof in the proofing???

xiv. Anthony Bourdain lives forever in internet memes. There's probably an Anthony Bourdain quote to explain how he'd feel about that.

That is it for today. I leave Liverpool tomorrow morning. I am so blessed to have been born in this city. This remarkable kingdom of romantics, dreamers, and storytellers. On the rare days that the sun shines – as it did at my Dad’s funeral – there is no finer place on earth. I want to thank my Mum and Dad for raising me here, and the decisions they made together. I also want to thank my brother Nige who still lives here who has been a rock for the family at this time of darkness. May we soon see the light. To my father’s memory. To life. To love. 

Let’s not take a second of watching football together for granted,

Let’s make great memories,

Big Love,

Courage.

ROG

PS. Come on England. Win it for my Dad.