Euromerica Summer o’ Soccer OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY 🇺🇸🏆

Hail GFOP!

I type with fingers aquiver. The football overfloweth. “Euromerica Summer o’ Soccer” is officially underway. We will not sleep a wink until July 15th. See you on the other side, my friends. 

We are living in remarkable times. The Euros by day, with its ecstatically attacking football, banging goals, and mesmerizing fan pageantry. Copas by night, with its prison rules football played on concrete carpeting, with erratic refereeing, and commentary time-lags. Can’t take my eyes off either version. We so Blessed. World Cup 2026 is now just 720 days away. For the next two years, this is all one big long Bills Mafia-style pregame tailgate, America!

ii. We are reveling in this footballing dreamscape with clear eyes and full hearts. This week we began our FC to Shining Sea Tour LIVE in Los Angeles at the beautiful El Rey Theater with Brendan Hunt and Herc Gomez and a ton of GFOPs savoring every moment. This week, I am off to Atlanta where you can JOIN US AT FADO’S IRISH PUB MIDTOWN on Wednesday night, June 26th for a town hall conversation with Dax McCarty about the USMNT’s Quest for Glory. Then on June 30 we are LIVE IN KANSAS CITY ahead of the USMNT’s match against Uruguay at Arrowhead. Grab your TICKETS HERE and come join some amazing guests as we talk through the first two US group games, Euros action and more. Finally, we are HEADING TO CHARLOTTE on July 9 – the night before your city hosts the Copa America semi-finals. For all the info on our FC to Shining Sea Tour, HEAD HERE. Cities, locations, and ticket links all included. Come and raise a glass and make memories with us together.

iii. Every night, we are breaking down the day’s play on Do It Lives! in which you can join us and talk about your insights and questions. Last night, Montreal’s own Ariel Helwani went deep on Argentina-Canada. Rebecca Lowe burned with the heat of a thousand suns mourning England. TONIGHT, Brendan Hunt will raise a glass right after watching his Netherlands beat France, and on Sunday, JOHN GREEN will come on and toast American Glory (🙏🤞) after the Bolivia game. Subscribe to our YouTube page and turn on notifications (remember to hit the bell icon!) so you know exactly when we are going live. 

iv. One More Big Thing: We released our comprehensive study of over 9,000 American fans, From Sea to Shining FC, undertaken in collaboration with YouGov, investigating the explosive rise of soccer fandom in the United States and providing the most detailed look to date at the contours of that passion, in relation to both the Men's and Women's Game. Thanks to the thousands of you who took the time to respond. Would love to know what you think about it — we tried to set out how American fandom is both similar, and uniquely different to European support. You can view it here. As ever, email me at [email protected] to tell me your thoughts. 

To the Football

2. USA vs. Bolivia (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, Fox Proper) 🇺🇸🇧🇴

At the end of this US Copa journey, we will learn so much about US Soccer and everything that is possible. What is our true weight class? What are our ambitions? In the Euros, we have watched the likes of Georgia, Slovakia, and Albania take the field without fear, unfurl clinical collective football and soar. Why not us? Why never, ever us? 

ii. It is staggering that this squad packed with our individual talents is without a signature win against a non-CONCACAF power. This Copa can change that. I filmed episode two of my interview series with Tyler Adams, The Captain presented by Allstate, this week and Tyler talked with relish about that possibility. The schedule has been kind to the US. Bolivia are the weakest team we will face in the competition. Expect them to set up in a low block and dare us to break them down. With the individual talent Gregg Berhalter has at his disposal with this Gen Z-Eagles squad, it will be on him to find a way. 

iii. One note that causes angst ahead of the World Cup: Argentinian fans packed the opening game in Atlanta last night. A crowd of over 70,000. This Copa will sell well to Messi fans, Brazilian, Mexican, and Colombian diasporas who live across the nation. But will the US Men make noise in this tournament and grab the attention of the wider soccer-curious audience whom they need to engage to grow the game in this nation? The Wall Street Journal summed up the mood with a piece headlined The World Cup Is Still Two Years Away. The U.S. Soccer Freakout Has Already Started.

More: US Soccer’s Copa Economics are not what they were in 2016.

3. Jesse Marsch is a Great Canadian: Argentina 2 Canada 0 🇦🇷🇨🇦

Last night, Jesse Marsch played his first competitive game as Canadian manager. (Wisconsin, you have now been annexed and are part of Canada.) The Canadian performance was ferociously aggressive and high risk-high reward. As impressive as Jesse’s ability to learn the national anthem so quickly. Their positivity and fearlessness was all so fun. To watch it was to feel alive, which is what football is all about. Yes, Canada is yet to score under Marsch, but that may come next Tuesday night against Peru. This Canadian team of Alphonso Davies, Maxime Crepeau and the electric Jacob Shaffelburg can be one of the youngest, freshest faces of a brave, new Canada. 

More: I broke down Argentina 2 Canada 0 with my friend Ariel Helwani at the final whistle. We went deep on Jesse Marsch, and Montreal bagels. 🇨🇦🥯

And: Jesse Marsch joined me this week to talk about the transformation of Canada he envisages. Watch it here.

4. England Top Group. Nation in Meltdown. Everyone Freak the Eff Out 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🤯

International football is all about the following conundrum: Do you pick a system that fits your best players? Or select the best players available that suit your system? Gareth Southgate is trying to do both – jamming his best players out of position into his system. And the result is bewildering, making so much less out of more: A team in which three elite players are left to flounder out of the position they excel for their club. A right back playing at left back. Another right back playing centre mid. Two potent creative midfielders playing deep, and everyone else seemingly attempting to cut inside and find room. A reality in which Heroes can only become scapegoats. The English team hasn’t even given the media a chance to build them up before tearing them apart. 

The good news is this: England are still undefeated and top their group. Fixes do seem apparent. Moving Bellingham to eight, Foden into the middle, and playing the one true left winger in the squad, Anthony Gordon on the flank. Whether Southgate can fumble his way towards these solutions whilst surviving trial by tabloid remains to be seen. Slovenia awaits on Tuesday. 

More: This England team is broken. Is there time to fix it? Intrigue about fear of big names, and angst within families.

ii. Today in Euros:

Slovakia vs. Ukraine (Fubo only!!!) 🇸🇰🇺🇦

Poland vs. Austria FS1 🇵🇱🇦🇹

Netherlands France Fox Proper 🇳🇱🇫🇷

Virgil van Dijk and the Dutch face a French team buoyed by N’Golo Kanté’s return today in Leipzig (3 p.m. ET, Fox Sports). Both teams won their opening games, yet had to fight for them. After suffering a broken nose in his side’s game against Austria, captain Kylian Mbappe will likely miss this afternoon’s game, with sources telling ESPN he could return (decked out in a patriotic mask) against Poland on Tuesday. The French have dominated this matchup in recent years, winning seven of the side’s last eight meetings. Dutch Manager (and Euro winner himself in ‘88) Ronald Koeman will hope 21-year-old PSG forward Xavi Simons can showcase why Bayern is reportedly willing to shell out $107 million to bring him to the Bundesliga. 

iii. Godspeed Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Scotland need a win against Hungary (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, Fox Sports) to extend the Tartan Army’s friendly takeover of Germany. I am praying for them as their fans bring joy to the world. Also history: advancing would mark the country’s first time reaching the knockout stages of the European Championship. Godspeed Scotland, we need more of this. 

5. Premier League 2024-25 fixture list is OUT

Arsenal face an early season gauntlet hosting Tottenham just four games into the season then traveling to Manchester City in the immediate aftermath for a game on which the future of Democracy will be determined. Brace yourself for September 21st and a lot of talk about “throwing down a marker.” 

Chelsea open against defending Champion Manchester City on August 17th. Pray for Enzo Maresca, City are a club he knows very well as Pep Guardiola's former assistant.

Ipswich open against Liverpool who have been looked upon favorably by the scheduling gods. New Klopp, Arne Slot will face just one Big Six opponent in his first five, Manchester United on August 31st. 

Everton welcome new baby-faced Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler for their first match and will let him ease into Premier League life with a generous three-points welcome. 

More: Full Schedule here.

And: The entire fixture list with games bolded when both managers are bald. 💀

Also this: Football calendar set for more chaos as AFCON poised to be moved back to December to facilitate Club World Cup, playing though Premier League Holiday schedule. 

6. The Women’s Game

Rose Lavelle’s Wednesday night wonder goal for Gotham gave her side a valuable home win against the San Diego Wave that leaves The Bats two points off the top going into Match day 14. Just six points separates the top five teams at the near-halfway mark of the season, Sunday's match between 5th placed Portland Thorns and 1st placed KC Current could narrow that gap to just three (4 p.m. ET, Paramount +).

ii. Mid-season dramatics for the NWSL scriptwriters: NWSL punishes Portland Thorns for ‘frivolous’ appeal of Smith red card.

iii. Trinity Rodman feature in Vanity Fair. On the World Cup, politics, and Korbin Albert.

This Week at Men in Blazers World Headquarters

🎧 Do it Live Schedule. We are going live almost every day after the football action on our YouTube. SUBSCRIBE HERE to get notified when we go live. Here’s a look at the schedule: 

• Today - 5:30 p.m. ET - Brendan Hunt

• Saturday, June 22 - 5 p.m. ET - Daniel Storey 

• Sunday, June 23 - 8 p.m. ET - John Green 

• Monday, June 24 - 11 p.m. ET - Davo 

🇺🇸 American Dreams: Superior Meets Suboptimal, Presented by ULTRA. As we approach Sunday’s Copa Kickoff we are releasing a pair of conversations with two of our Gen Zeagle Heroes. Joe Scally talks about how he contained Vini Jr., and simultaneously caused Ronaldinho to quit Brazil (LISTEN HERE | WATCH HERE). And Norwich City goal machine Josh Sargent discusses his Champions League Dreams (LISTEN HERE | WATCH HERE). 

🇩🇪 Early Kickoff: Direct from Deutschland. Our daily news Podcast has traveled to Germany to produce daily episodes from the beating heart of this Euros tournament. For color, for commentary, for brilliant stories from this tournament of tournaments, brought to you from the tournament. Every single day. SUBSCRIBE HERE.

7. Not Football, and All the Better for It

i. Stunning stuff from Sophie Vershbow: The Cousin I Never Knew. 

ii. That should be me! Hanging Out With Martin Scorsese’s Bodyguard at the n+1 Gala.

iii. How Does Our Sense of Humor Change With Age? A Statistical Analysis. *some of the data on humour was collected from Germans. 

iv. Vegans look away: Pork, Love, and Money: Life According to La Piraña Lechonera.

v. "It was not a destination, but a place meant to be driven through — which is to say, no place at all." Mega drive-throughs explain everything wrong with American cities. They’re great for the fast food industry — but not so great for us.

vi. Glen Powell and Matthew McConaughey Tell the Truth About Movie Stardom. I'd love to hear the audio on this. 

vii. Big Disney Energy: Squirrels were struggling in a heat wave. She made them a ‘squirrel spa.’

viii. Not UNRELATED to the plot of HELP: The strange story of John Lennon's stolen Patek Phillippe watch.

ix. The science behind a great conversation. Surprisingly, it doesn't start with "Let me tell you about my Euro Fantasy Team"

x. A case for naming Boston's airport after Bill Russell. How many championships did General Edward Lawrence Logan have? ZILCH. 

xi. I LOVE THIS BOOK AND SO WILL YOU: Godwin by Joseph O’Neill. After making cricket the subject of an award-winning novel, O’Neill turns his art to football. I think this book – about the search for meaning in life, and the search to scout a young African football prodigy – is the best I have read this year. If you love football – and you must if you are still reading this far down in the newsletter, read this book.

That is it for today. Let’s savor this weekend with a sense of collective joy, and gratitude. We have dreamed about this Copa coming to these shores for a long, long time. I cannot wait to watch our gents attempt to live out their collective dreams. Let’s revel in it, and not take a second for granted.

Big Love

Courage

Go! Go! USA!

ROG