The Lost Boys of the USMNT 🇺🇸 😵‍💫

Hail GFOP! 

I type with fingers both buzzing and bruised. This is the best of times, the worst of times for all those who love football in America. World Cup 2026 is now less than 365 days away. We celebrated in fine style by traveling to Los Angeles, the first U.S. city to host a game, and unfurling a live show, with the likes of the mighty Jim Harbaugh (more on that below.) Yet, our U.S. men’s national team is in complete and utter shambles. Instead of girding its loins for glory, the unit has elected to self-immolate at every level as we are forced to live the numbing, bumbling trauma of a wasted summer.

Yesterday marked 15 years since a sniping Clint Dempsey delivered that famous 2010 “1-1 Win” against England. I remember feeling after that game that dizzying, Ian Darke-soundtracked American progress was inevitable. As the team stumbles towards a Gold Cup, on a four-game losing run with star players absent and briefing against the manager, perhaps the saddest reality is the extent to which they have failed to seize the moment and grab the attention of our nation. To watch them as a U.S. fan used to feel inspiring. They could not feel smaller right now if they tried. Tuning into watch them is an act that is filled with dread. A duty bordering on a chore, like one of those dirty jobs Mike Rowe would cover. More, much more below. 

This was the highlight of my week: The New York Times featured the beginning of our World Cup plans. I cannot wait to win the World Cup with you all. 🏆🍺

ii. Los Angeles – what a cathartic honor it was to take the stage in a night of nights, taping a live show before a full house at the historic Zanuck Theater on the Fox Lot. To sit with Brandi Chastain and Cobi Jones, a pair of bona fide American pathfinding legends and re-live how World Cups 1994 and 1999 transformed football in this nation, then revel as Jim Harbaugh, Jason Sudeikis and the mighty Brendan Hunt dreamed about all there is to come, was a magical experience. I found listening to Harbaugh talk about how he holds on to optimism in the face of doubt, truly inspiring. Sudeikis reading old emails between him and the Chargers coach on whom he based Ted Lasso was a delight. But above all, the energy in that room was a light in the darkness. Bring on the World Cup and the collective memories we can all forge together.

iii. Last week I wrote about how I had an old, old friend from my school days, James, coming for dinner. It was the first time I had seen him in nearly 30 years and I loved every second. To connect to a dear old friend is to chortle with laughter that comes from a different, deeper place.  

One thing that was fascinating was hearing James tell me his memory of the last time we met as teenagers. I had talked about how I had come to realize there were five things that we dream of having in life: 1. Friends we can trust. 2. A city we enjoy living in. 3 A partner we love. 4. A job that offers a sense of mission and meaning. 5. Good relationships with our family. I told him that almost no one has all five, and you are doing pretty well if you have three at any one time.

I still believe the above. Apart from the way James remembers it, I had told him there were four things you aspired to in life, and in his retelling, one of them was “faith.” We got into a brief back and forth about the accuracy of memory, before I realized that did not matter at all. In fact, there is power in the customization of narrative. And I am so elated James has propelled his life with a mission which he attributes to me, even though it is something I have never even thought about.

What a Week Lies Ahead at MiB 🍻

i. 🍻 Texas, we’re coming for you. We are heading on the road this summer for the Gold Cup, and I will be joined by USMNT legend Clint Dempsey—the newest member of the MiB Media Network—for two shows at a couple of America’s best soccer bars for laughs, storytelling, and communal joy. We’ll join you in Austin, Texas on June 18 at BD Riley’s Irish Pub (the night before USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia) and in Dallas, Texas on June 21 at The Londoner Addison (the night before USMNT vs. Haiti). These are free, but GFOPs have us currently sold out. HOWEVER: we have a wait list going so that if and when we can open up spots, you’ll be the first to know. You WILL need an RSVP to get in. 🤠

🎟️ JOIN THE AUSTIN WAITLIST • 🎟️ JOIN THE DALLAS WAITLIST

ii. 📺 SUNDAY NIGHT - We are DOING IT LIVE WITH CLINT DEMPSEY for a brand-new LIVE episode of THE DEUCE. No matter what happens in the USMNT’s opening Gold Cup match vs. Trinidad and Tobago (6 p.m. ET, FOX), one thing is for sure: right after the final whistle blows, we’ll be doing it live. Come and join us on our YouTube channel postgame for Clint’s instant reactions and ask him your best questions. 🚨

iii. 🇵🇹 Tomorrow, we are kicking off our new New Balance partnership with a NYC pop-up experience to celebrate FC Porto's journey and host Men in Blazers Live! FC Porto Especial, presented by New Balance. I will be joined by FC Porto’s native son André Villas-Boas—Europa League-winning manager, tactical visionary, and the current President of FC Porto—for an exclusive conversation exploring the culture of the club and the city that inspires it on the eve of kicking off at the FIFA Club World Cup. New Yorkers, come be with us. 🗽

iv. 🌞 Summer of Soccer Previews. So much football happening on these shores right now. What you know about Guadalupe, Auckland FC and Mamelodi Sundowns?! We are your one-stop shop to get you up to speed on all of the narrative in both the Gold Cup and Club World Cup. We have taped a three-part Gold Cup series, which includes a deep-dive on the USMNT’s predicament with VAMOS’ Herc Gomez (WATCH HERE); a forensic examination of tournament favorites El Tri and the field with Ed Reynoso and Cristian Soltero from The Give N Go (WATCH HERE); and look at our neighbors to the North Canada with… checks notes… MANAGER JESSE MARSCH. That drops Monday. 

Later today, we drop a Super Big Gulped-sized Club World Cup preview with Rory Smith. Look for it on our pod and YouTube feeds later this afternoon. 🏟️

v. ☀️ Over on The Women's Game, Sam Mewis welcomed USWNT and NC Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy on Friendlies to discuss her college career at Rutgers, early professional career in France, and experience winning Gold at last summer's Olympics. Then Becky Sauerbrunn joined Sam to recap Becky's retirement celebration in St. Louis, the TWG live show in Vermont, and celebrate Rose Lavelle's return to the NWSL pitch. You can find both of those great conversations, and plenty more, on the TWG YouTube channel. 🗣️

The Lost Boys of the U.S. National Team 🦅🫠

This title above came from our mailbag via GFOP HJ Flint, who was one of hundreds of GFOPs who have written to us this week expressing their panic about our imploding USMNT. HJ writes: “I’d like to hear the opinions of the people you respect, regarding the current train wreck, or what is called the U.S. men's national team. What has happened to the "Golden Generation"? Please........help.”

HJ – I agree, we are all so lost right now, watching a team we love self-destructing, hellbent only on scoring one of the most prolonged own goals in footballing history. It is so hard to witness, and I don’t know if there is anything we can do to stop this wasted summer of bad vibes. We have:

1. A star player who has chosen not to report for international duty, then stayed silent as to why for two weeks, which created a damaging, destabilizing vacuum.

2. U.S. Soccer briefing against that player, and making it clear the decision to stay away was his choice.  

3. The team subsequently playing woeful, unsyncopated football, extending its losing run to four games.

4. Our globally renowned manager is fast losing his aura.

5. Old players fill the silence by choosing sides. Landon Donovan leading the criticism in a style that Clint Dempsey told me was “Right message, wrong messenger.”

6. Pulisic’s dad entering the chat, clapping back at critics in an accidental but inflammatory fashion. 

7. Pulisic attempting to clear up the hot mess yesterday by appearing on a friendly podcast on a network he is in the midst of making a documentary series with, and only making matters worse. Christian briefed that he had offered to come to camp for the first two games only, and that Pochettino declined—setting up the specter of a manager-star player battle for control.

8. U.S. Soccer, unable or unwilling to do much of anything. Passive, silent and impotent. 

9. Meanwhile, the team has been unable to so much as clench a fist, unfurling a performance against the Swiss in which we were blown away without conjuring a single shot on goal.

Brace yourself for today. On the eve of the Gold Cup, the last competitive games for this United States team before the World Cup, Pochettino is going to have to spend much of his press conference addressing the comments of a player who is not there, giving this massive distraction new oxygen and another agonizing lap around the track.

And perhaps worst of all, the sparse attendances are a terrible symbol of the lack of interest surrounding this team. The English tabloid media is laughing at us. One headline this week read: “Pochettino said the U.S. could be the best in the world, now they can't win a game.” Even USWNT internationals are laughing at us. Midge Purce mockingly tweeted, “the USMNT drama right now is 🍿😭 and half the country is oblivious.”

Where Are We Now as We Charge Towards Playing Trinidad and Tobago, Two Teams at Once. Never a Smart Idea. (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, FOX) 🇺🇸🇹🇹

To understand how to stop this pain demands working out where the challenges begin, which is almost like pulling on a thread and unravelling the entire garment. What we are witnessing is the result of a thousand micro-decisions stretching back over a decade that are piling up in a seismic chain-reaction. U.S. Soccer Men’s history is filled with reaction and counter-reaction, going all the way back to the end of the Bob Bradley period, where the decision was made to go global in our coaching with Jurgen Klinsmann. Whatever you think of Jurgen’s tenure, his doomed second cycle led U.S. Soccer to decide to snap back to an American coach, waiting for Gregg Berhalter. Similarly, whatever you thought of GGG, the ill-thought-out (and even worse explained) decision to re-appoint him, led to another jackknife counter-reaction to snap back and go global again, recruiting Pochettino. When he was appointed I talked about how his philosophy of grinta or fight is exactly what this team needs, but warned that his ideas are no slam dunk, and could actually be rejected like a donor organ shunned by its new host body. 

This Is Where We Are Now, Faced By a Slew of Unfathomable Questions:

i. How fractured is Pochettino and Pulisic’s relationship? Christian’s comments yesterday inadvertently made him sound like a player who picks and chooses when he plays for the national team, which is an optic that Poch cannot allow without having his authority undermined.  

My friend Herculez Gomez tweeted yesterday, “I’ve witnessed disputes between coaches and players before. It never ends well. Christian Pulisic has drawn his line in the sand, just like Pochettino and U.S. Soccer. This situation is making an already unlikable team even more unlikable.” 

Make no mistake: U.S. Soccer finds itself in a standoff in which no one wins. Look at what happened in Poland this week when Robert Lewandowski refused to play under their national team manager.

ii. When will US Soccer step in and speak? They have been silent but what exactly will they choose to say? Who would they back between Mauricio Pochettino, their marquee manager on a massive contract, and star player Christian Pulisic, who is the face of the team in both football and commercial terms? 

iii. What is the current mentality of the players Pochettino did not call up? A side issue—but still important. The Josh Sargents, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trustys? They were dumped, then the team continued its free fall. Do we need Josh Sargent now? Could Cameron Carter-Vickers do a job? How do they feel ego-wise after seeming surplus to requirements?  

iv. Should Pulisic have a thicker skin? He has played in the crucible of some of the biggest leagues in the world, so what does he care about what a couple of ex-players say in a domestic media culture which is overwhelmingly underdeveloped and silent in comparison to the unforgiving buzzsaw of Europe or South American football? Having his dad be perceived to talk for him, before he spoke himself, is, I would imagine, a moment he would like back. 

v. Is this inevitably a wasted summer? Not having competitive World Cup qualifiers was ultimately terrible for this U.S. team. As Midge Purce delighted in pointing out, no one out of our soccer bubble even knows this madness is taking place. We are missing an opportunity to make Americans care. The World Cup is going to be a massive success for football. Will the USMNT write themselves into that story at all?

vi. Is anyone loving all of this more than Jesse Marsch? This subtweet of U.S. Soccer’s hot mess must feel like revenge at “V for Vendetta” levels.

🗣️ JOIN ME AND CLINT DEMPSEY for a LIVE taping of THE DEUCE at the final whistle on Sunday. Come and revel in Clint’s company and ask him every question you want, please god, after an American victory. ♠️ 🇺🇸

The 2026 World Cup is less than a year away and our newly-launched weekly USMNT Only newsletter is your go-to source for the backstories, insights and narrative surrounding the squad in their run to (hopeful) glory. Subscribe now.

The Club World Cup Is Going to Be Some Turbulent Journey 🏆

I am about to tape a preview of the Club World Cup with my friend Rory Smith. The tournament feels like a big-named comedian workshopping new material in a tiny club before going on tour: ill-thought out and woefully marketed, a massive missed opportunity.

The widespread reports of authorities using the games as targets for immigration sweeps are a nightmare narrative. A chilling reminder of something we have always said: that football is merely a mirror to the culture and politics of the society that surrounds it. Right now, our reflection is one of chaos and fear. We are all working so hard to bring so much joy to the world through football. It is as if there are parallel narratives around this tournament. At some point they will crash together. Football should be about love and the World Cup should be about coming together. This dark narrative could consume us all.

More Football Did Ya Say? 📰

• Is Thomas Frank the right fit at Tottenham? “Manager is flexible but a slow starter with limited experience in Europe, and arrives as the love still lingers for former manager.”

• Beautiful piece about the wonder of watching Lionel Messi play in the flesh. Something we should never take for granted.

• Well played Arsenal, who announced their magnificent women’s team will play all their home games at the Emirates next season.

Incredible Games to Watch Around the World 🌎

Club World Cup 🏆

Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, DAZN)

On paper, this isn’t the grand opening we’re used to for an international football tournament, but the complexion of this fixture will tell us a lot about whether v2.0 of the Club World Cup is a glow up, or a facelift gone wrong. It’s a FIFA showcase that could be the legacy maker or breaker for its main man, Gianni Infantino, which amidst poor ticket sales, is a concern for him. Egypt’s Al Ahly have a modest roster of players, but like most of the lesser-known clubs in this 32-team tournament, are used to winning in their own country and continent, which is something that can’t necessarily be said for their opponents and tournament hosts, David Beckham’s Inter Miami. To be fair, they’ve only been a football club for a minute, but the Barcelona remake featuring Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Alba, has been more Netflix burial than box office beast so far. When the European titans start facing each other in this tournament, we’ll know more about its intrigue in the USA, but if Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is half empty for this opener, FIFA will worry. 

Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City (Sunday, 12 p.m. ET, DAZN)

New Zealand’s Auckland City are a semi-professional side whose wages are capped at $90 per week, while Bayern Munich’s top-earner, Harry Kane, makes $559,000 in that same period. They’ve been drawn in the Club World Cup’s tastiest group, which along with Bayern, is made up of Portugal’s most successful team, Benfica, and Argentinian powerhouse, Boca Juniors. In order to compete in the tournament, players will be forced to take unpaid leave from their regular jobs, but the 13-time Oceania Champions League winners will make $3.58 million just for showing up, which in UEFA terms is dimes, but for Auckland City, will positively shift the landscape of their whole club’s future. Bayern are German champions with an illustrious cast of players that makes The Phoenician Scheme’s roll call look modest, so only a convincing win will satisfy Vincent Kompany given the chasm of quality between the two clubs. Even a draw for Auckland City would be more romantic than a cocktail of Cool Runnings, Dodgeball and Rocky combined.

Paris St-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, DAZN)

Now we’re talking! Football’s next revolution, Champions League winners PSG, have a very different, and probably tougher challenge than Inter Milan in Diego Simeone’s rabid war dogs, Atlético Madrid. Simeone’s squad are unified by a siege mentality that’s bred a lot of success in the past 14 years, and despite this being a tournament packed with relative underdogs, he will tell his team that they’re in that bracket. PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé will see this tournament as a part of his Ballon d’Or campaign as he bids to convince swing states that he’s the best player in the world, but selfless collectivism has been the totemic ingredient for Enrique’s team thus far, who will be starving for more silverware following their historic treble. Pasadena’s Rose Bowl hosts this nourishing exhibition, which looks like a Champions League knockout tie, and although PSG are favorites, it’s an alluring style-clash between two managers with conflicting footballing philosophies.

NWSL 🇺🇸

KC Current vs. Racing Louisville (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ion)

Too early to declare a shield winner? The KC Current are putting up NY Liberty numbers, five points clear at the top after their Lo LaBonta-less side shut Gotham down 2-1 courtesy of early goals from Michelle Cooper and Temwa Chawinga. This weekend they face an upstart Louisville side sitting sixth after narrowly missing the playoffs last season. A win in the Current’s first of two clashes with Louisville this month could take them to 30 points after just 12 games. On the West Coast, the Pride goes before what they hope will be a fall for rivals Washington Spirit: Orlando takes on Bay FC tonight (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video) before the Spirit face the Thorns 700 miles north at Providence Park (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS).

Premier League Football, We Miss You So 😢

It’s been three weekends without the Premier League and we miss it dearly. As we look forward to the 2025/26 season, we want to know: Who is your favorite Premier League club? 💙

MiB Mad Libs 📝

This week’s phrase is:

“The Club World Cup is to football what _______ is to _______”

Email me your submissions to be in contention to win a coveted MiB patch.

Last week’s winner was:

Oliver Gottfried: “The one thing that makes me feel most positive about the USMNT is it’s only 1,832 days until World Cup 2030”

Oliver – Please, have faith. Stay the course. Go! Go! USA!

Not Football and All the Better for It 📖

• The Silliest Display of Wealth in ‘Mountainhead’. Sadly the pot is out of stock (PUN INTENDED).

• "She had weeks left to live and had spent so much time writing about how to get away with murder. I fantasized that she might try to kill me." The Talented Ms. Highsmith. 

• How ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ rewrote the indie movie marketing playbook. Napoleon walked so Chalamet could run. 

• How Pakistan fell in love with sushi. Like many great stories, it begins at Benihana. 

• Paging James Milner: Meet the members of the Dull Men’s Club: ‘Some of them would bore the ears off you’.

• Tough week: Sly Stone’s Funky Revolution + Brian Wilson's life in photos. 

• This Song Helped Me Through the Week: “Shape” by Watchhouse

Dear Rog... GFOPs Write ✍️

The great Mark Dolce wrote: Rog, I'm interested to know what fruit you ate to offset the high-triglyceride intake during periods of stress-eating induced by the last two wretched USMNT outings? I purposely did not watch last night hoping my absence would be a talisman of good fortune. 

Let's just say I was gobsmacked by the defending and lack of urgency. That's not a C-team specific problem, that's a team problem. Horrible body language from the get-go. Whatever nut Poch needs to crack to get this team playing as if they cared, he hasn't found it. Courage?

Rog writes: Mark, my favorite fruit is obvs Michelob Ultra. But I am a massive apple aficionado and Honeycrisps are my ride or die. Honestly, apples are one of the greatest joys in my life. I don’t feel like the world gives them enough praise, so thank you for giving me this opportunity. They are my emotional lighthouse on the stormiest of nights.

Keep sending your stories and questions to [email protected].

To Better Days Ahead for All.

Let’s not take a moment watching football together for granted and make great memories. Big Love.

Courage,

ROG