Hail GFOP!

Rog writes: Holy Crap. What an emotion-soaked experience it was to witness our United States G-League Boys survive and advance after a CONCACAF knife-fight quarter final fought via prison rules against Costa Rica. The 4-3 penalty shootout performance felt like a bullet dodged, yet it was also ultimately so energizing, in a style that was reminiscent of Churchill’s life-truth quote: “Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.” 🏆

Make no mistake, we were in a barroom brawl, and were kicked to the sawdust on the floor. In the 85th minute, when Alonso Martinez’s flash drive thumped the post with Matt Freese stranded, we were millimeters away from a humiliating exit. Our midfield remains eerily uncreative (and Johnny Cardoso oddly MIA.) Yet, Pochettino had promised a team who would fight and struggle and do whatever it takes to win. Clint Dempsey was ebullient in his post-match taping of The Deuce, and said the team will surge with optimism after last night’s performance, “We learned who’s got that mettle, to emerge when your back is against the well… and when you come out of these moments it builds the chemistry as a team. Everyone is going to be fighting more and understanding they are just two games away from Mission Accomplished. You need these types of moments.” 🇺🇸 🇨🇷

Clint also added something beautiful and true for all of us as long-suffering U.S. supporters which I really loved when he admitted, “For us as fans, we needed this after Copa America and Nations League. I was in my living room with my kids cheering and giving each other high fives. I want my kids to feel passionate about the U.S. and aspire to play for them one day. You need these types of moments to pass down from generation to generation. Tonight was a moment.” 🍻

📺 Watch Clint Dempsey break down the exhilaration of last night’s U.S. win on this adrenalin-filled episode of the The Deuce. ♠️

This Was Matt Freese’s Big Night 🧤

Three massive, calm, calculated saves by the NYCFC goalkeeper in the 4-3 penalty shoot-out made this a moment in which Matt Freese seriously began to lay claim to the U.S. starting role. Gent came up big, and actually seemed to thrive and enjoy himself in the crucible of a do-or-die roll of the dice against the iconic Keylor Navas. “Penalties are my thing,” he said post-game, like some kind of Harvard Donnarumma. Last night he was able to scream, “How do you like them apples?” at the world. Credit Matt Turner, who cannot be enjoying his ongoing lack of minutes, but is still bringing the joy in any way he can.  

Hot Tillman Summer Is Going On and On 🌞

GFOP Gil Rutledge wrote me a Raven entitled “TILLMANIA” and I love that term. That is what we are living. Last night, Malik Tillman was the heartbeat of our team. He won a penalty, missed a penalty, but was big enough to raise his game, provide roughly 87% of our forward motion, and keep his nerve when returning to the penalty spot during the shoot-out. The 23-year-old has not only earned his right to take a starting role when the full-strength squad Avenger assembles in the fall window, he will become Poch’s warning sign to the big name starters that they cannot be complacent. This morning Fabrizio Romano announced Malik’s Hot Summer continues: His $40m transfer to Bayer Leverkusen has been agreed. Here We Go.

“Oh, For a Team of 11 Diego Lunas…”🌜👦🏻

I love Diego Luna so much. I think he represents all that we yearn for from our U.S. team. Last night the 21-year-old from Sunnyvale, Calif. scored his first-ever goal for the USMNT. Again, it was another enormous deflection. Gent specializes in banging the ball home off other people’s body parts. 

GFOP @OptimisticCurmudgeon gave him the nickname “Deflecto” on our YouTube last night, but it was his celebration that fired up the fan base – the unbridled passion, the raw emotion, the joy that has become all too rare a currency for our boys.  

Alex Freeman’s Penalty Was a Massive Moment by a Cool, Cool Kid 😎

Do not let this moment be written out of the night’s telling. Sebastian Berhalter had just Baggio’d his penalty over the bar into the Minneapolis night sky. Costa Rica felt ascendant. Up stepped the 20-year-old with all the pressure on his shoulders, and he cooly, calmly did this. Extraordinary moment of chill by a young gent with a massive future. Damion Downs’ winner was also maximally clinical. The Germans don’t miss. 

GUATEMALA AWAIT IN THE SEMI FINALS! 🇬🇹

What a moment for their fans. FIFA’s 106th-ranked nation shocked 10-man Canada on penalties and turned Minneapolis into Guatemala City North on Sunday. La Furia Azul (“The Blue Fury”) held their nerve in the shootout and reached their first Gold Cup semi-final since 1996. 

The semi-final in St. Louis on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET on FS1) will be a rollicking experience. It’s been nine years since the USMNT faced Guatemala. Clint Dempsey was amongst the goals as we rolled 4-0. A 17-year-old Christian Pulisic made his debut in that game. With Honduras also clipping Panama, this Gold Cup has been filled with shocks. I long for a Gold Cup that loves itself, and has self-respect. With CONCACAF teams improving all the time, our region is becoming more and more competitive. This tournament could be, should be, so much more than it is. A true jewel lies within. 

🎙️I will tape a preview with Herculez Gomez on Tuesday, then listen to Clint Dempsey break down the action at the final whistle on Do It Live! on Wednesday night. Come and be with us. 🤝🏼

Today I am in Washington D.C. I can’t wait to take the stage tonight at a sold-out historic Howard Theater, with Becky Sauerbrunn and Sam Mewis to celebrate the AllState Classico, USWNT vs. Canada, in this city. If you are here, come and have a pint with us after the show. 🏦🍻🇺🇸🇨🇦

Courage,

ROG

A Five-Hour Club World Cup Thriller ⛈

- Written by Tommy Stewart

Benfica 1-4 Chelsea 🇵🇹 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Somewhere among this four-hour-and-38-minute drama was a brilliant football match and a mature Chelsea performance that their fans will be proud of, because their team essentially had to win twice! With the Blues dominant and up 1-0 via a Beckham-esque long-range Reece James free kick, there were only five minutes of normal time remaining when severe weather in the form of a lightning strike near Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium forced play to be paused for almost two hours. Momentum is such a crucial element in football, and Enzo Maresca was understandably outraged that a quirk that generally only intercepts English sporting events like cricket or Wimbledon, allowed his team’s muscles to seize up, giving Benfica an avenue back into the game once play resumed. Up until the stoppage, Chelsea put on the sort of performance that saw them competing with Liverpool for the Premier League title last Christmas, with Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández, Roméo Lavia and Moisés Caicedo all rocking-and-rolling while building the case that their midfield is quietly becoming one of the best in the world. Were it not for a highlight reel of stunning saves from Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, the referee might have called the game quits at the weather disruption.

Resumed Play, aka Game Two ⛈

Maresca was not vague in his criticism of the weather delay’s impact on the game: “Guys, it’s not football. It’s not the same game because you break the tempo. It’s not random that for 85 minutes, we didn’t concede nothing, and then for five minutes, we conceded a few chances.” He’s right, and without getting too “Final Destination” about it, had the game been allowed to finish in its original form, Cole Palmer could have been relaxing in an ice bath, returning to his natural habitat. When play resumed, Benfica were generously awarded an injury-time penalty by VAR from an unpreventable Malo Gusto handball; the fact this isn’t the game’s biggest talking point tells you exactly how much madness went down. Angel Di Maria slotted it away to become the tournament’s top scorer, dragging the game into extra time, as this never-ending story refused to quit. The Lisbon side quickly proceeded to undo their very brief comeback after a nasty Gianlucca Prestianni challenge in the opening minute of extra time, leading to a second yellow card which gave Chelsea the impetus to win what was very nearly already won. Goals from Nkunku, Neto and Dewsbury-Hall showed Chelsea’s ability to identify and expose vulnerability, echoing the way they put Real Betis to the sword in the UEFA Conference League final. Ahead of Saturday’s quarter final against Palmeiras, Maresca will not have to have the Logan Roy “you’re not a killer” chat with his young team, because they’ve proved their mettle in just about the most testing match situation imaginable.

Sparse Stadium and Worrying Weather 🏟️

Considering the size of the two clubs competing in this knockout fixture, the official attendance of 25,000 in a 75,000 seater stadium was disheartening. Whether the erratic weather conditions impacted that is unclear, but it’s the sort of billing that warranted more. The Athletic reported that the average attendance for the group stage of the Club World Cup was 34,759, which is not disastrous, but a lot of the heavy lifting is being done by the South American clubs and European titans like Real Madrid, who have been the biggest draw of the tournament so far. Post-match, the disruption led Enzo Maresca to question the geography of a competition that’s a trial run for next year’s World Cup: “I think it’s a joke to be honest. I can understand that for security reasons, you suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably [this] is not the right place to do this competition.” His former boss, Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, reverberated that sentiment with his own modest twist, saying “I am an extraordinary manager but to control lightning and thunder, I am still not good enough”. Despite his God-like tendencies and abilities as a football manager, it’s good to know even he has a limit.

Rory Smith Is Coming to America 🍫🍊

We know that just made him sound like Prince Akeem, but he will be joining Rog for a load of live show tapings during a Week ‘O Wonder at The Michelob ULTRA Pitchside Club in New York City next week. We will have THREE MiB events over the course of the week. Come join us, raise an Ultra, and ask Rory your questions as we tape a live show with him before and after the games:

Semi-Final Watch Parties 🎉

• Tue 7/8: 3–5:30 p.m.

• Wed 7/9: 3–5:30 p.m.

MiB Live! with Some Lovely Special Guests 🎙️

• Fri 7/11: 6 p.m.

All of these events are FREE, and we want to raise a glass with all of you. All we ask is that you RSVP for the events (you can for all three at once if you’d like) as an RSVP will be needed to enter. Just be sure to select the MiB events you want to attend when signing up. The more of you we can see, the better. RSVP RIGHT HERE. 🎟️

📬 Enjoying The Raven? Check out our other Men in Blazers newsletters here.

The CWC’s Other Big Weekend Results 🏟️

PSG 4-0 Inter Miami 🇫🇷 🇺🇸

The Lionel Messi derby didn’t go how the Argentinian GOAT would have envisioned, as he was brutally humanized by experiencing something most mortals have had to go through: encountering an ex who’s thriving without you. This was the first time in his career that he’s played a former club, and although his situationship with PSG wasn’t the long marriage he had at Barcelona, Messi was still haunted by a pivotal figure (and former manager) from that part of his past, Luis Enrique. Currently, his treble-winning side are as close to perfect as is conceivable (just ask Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid), so although Miami shouldn’t feel humiliated by this result, for Messi, it was a bit like bumping into two former flings who have now become best friends. Within five minutes in a busy Mercedes-Benz Stadium, PSG were ahead via a João Neves header from a Vitinha free kick, and their now trademark quick-fire pressing and rapid interchangeable passing, led to a brace for him in the 39th minute. That second goal initiated a pile-on, with PSG’s multi-billion-dollar pack of well-drilled dogs deciding to bury the game before halftime with a Tomás Avilés own goal and another from Achraf Hakimi. Ousmane Dembélé’s first cameo of the tournament was a welcome vision, and although Messi and Miami looked improved in the second half, PSG were already planning for their box office quarter final against Bayern Munich. Just by advancing to the second round, Inter Miami have superseded expectations for an MLS side in the Club World Cup, breaking records that could forge a path for CONCACAF teams in the future, while PSG’s futuristic football makes them a nightmare adversary for every other team in the tournament.

Flamengo 2-4 Bayern Munich 🇧🇷 🇩🇪

Defenses of the Club World Cup, you have been warned: Harry Kane is alive, alert and seemingly hungrier than ever. After being a passive participant at Bayern’s 10-0 party against Auckland City, he managed to net in their next game against Boca Juniors, but yesterday’s opponents, Brazilian side Flamengo, suffered at the feet of one of the world’s best strikers in clutch form. Prior to this game in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, Flamengo were undefeated in the Club World Cup, beating one of the tournament’s favorites, Chelsea, 3-1 in the group stage. That was before they met Bayern, who have their serious face back on after resting seven players in their 1-0 loss against Benfica, perhaps lulling future opponents into a false sense of security. They were up 2-0 within 10 minutes following an Erick Pulgar own goal from a Joshua Kimmich corner, and an unstoppable left-footed Kane piledriver from outside the box. Flamengo then took the game to the German champions with a net-breaker from Gerson, but that was nullified by Leon Goretzka producing his own wizardry just before half time, curling the ball from outside the box, as the game became a goal of the tournament competition in its own microclimate. In the second half, former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder, Jorginho, put away a penalty with his trademark hop, skip and jump to open the game up again, but Kane was decisive in the 73rd minute, and any tantalizing chance the Brazilian side might have dreamt of was ruthlessly eliminated by the England captain. 

Palmeiras 1-0 Botafogo 🇧🇷 🇧🇷

This was the first match at the Club World Cup between two teams from the same country, and although it’s not Brazil’s most historic rivalry, in recent years there’s been plenty of heat between them due to being the country’s most currently successful clubs. The game was long in Philadelphia’s oppressive heat, requiring extra time to decide its winner, because with so much at stake, the fear of losing loomed larger than the desire to win. Palmeiras No. 10, Paulinho, entered the tension as a substitute, slaloming through an exhausted Botafogo defense in the 100th minute of the match, to simply pass the ball into the bottom corner out of the goalkeeper’s reach. There was a silly wresting match in the twilight of extra time that culminated in Palmeiras defender, Gustavo Gómez, seeing red, but his São Paulo side won the day on the pitch and in the stands and will return to the Linc for Saturday’s quarter final against Chelsea. 

📊 See the full list of Club World Cup match results here.

Some Absolute Weekend Worldies 🚀 🥅

There were a lot of great goals this weekend, but these three get top marks:

Mid-Week Matches Worth Faking a Meeting for 📺 

Club World Cup 🏆

Inter Milan vs. Fluminense (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, DAZN) 🇮🇹 🇧🇷

Christian Chivu’s Inter Milan have recovered well from Champions League humiliation against PSG in this Club World Cup, so far going undefeated in the group stage, although their opposition has been relatively meager and their side have the aura of Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler,” with the dogged refusal to quit, despite their aging legs. Fluminense have only lost one match in their last 10, and although their opening draw against Borussia Dortmund showed they can match up to hefty European opposition, their singular victory in this tournament so far was against Ulsan, where they still conceded two goals. The Brazilian side, like all of their compatriots in this competition so far, will bring color and energy to Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, but with the attacking threat of Lautaro Martínez and young striker Sebastiano Esposito, the Nerazzurri will be confident of advancing to the quarter final.

Manchester City vs. Al Hilal (TODAY, 9 p.m. ET, DAZN/TBS) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇸🇦

In his embryonic moments as Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal’s manager, straight back into a lead role after an eventual flop at Inter Milan, Simone Inzaghi is re-establishing what most of the game already knew about him; that he’s a very good manager. His Al Hilal side may be seasoned with a fantasy lineup of Premier League players from 2021, but against proper opposition, under his short reign so far, they have looked like legit European competitors. Manchester City’s makeover is going so well that Kevin De Bruyne is a mere memory now, and their dismissive destruction of Juventus to top their group was Heath Ledger’s Joker saying: "I’m gonna make this Italian giant disappear... Ta-da!". Pep and Inzaghi last battled in the 2023 Champions League final, and although City won that match, the Italian manager knows how to combat City’s high-intensity press and mathematical passing shapes. In Malcom, Rúben Neves and former City fullback, João Cancelo, there’s just about enough class and experience to cause a shock in Orlando.

Real Madrid vs. Juventus (Tomorrow, 3 p.m. ET, DAZN) 🇪🇸 🇮🇹

Between them, Real Madrid and Juventus have more gold than Mr. T’s jewelry cabinet, and are arguably Spain and Italy’s biggest clubs, respectively. Their head-to-head history is almost perfectly mirrored–nine wins and 25 goals for The Old Lady, 10 and 26 for Los Blancos, and two draws–and their colors are merged by two of history’s greatest-ever players in Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo. Currently, though, their trajectories are in, relative terms, diametrically opposed. Madrid have enjoyed continued domination for most of the past decade, where Juventus have had an identity crisis, scrapping around for the right manager, with the former routine of Serie A wins transpiring into battles for domestic cups and top-four finishes. Both have new managers who are legends of their respective clubs, Madrid with the already successful Xabi Alonso, and Juve appointing Igor Tudor, who up until facing the best of the best after losing 5-2 to Manchester City, was having a jolly old time at this Club World Cup. Trent Alexander-Arnold has looked very much like the new kid at school wearing his older brother's uniform at Real Madrid, but he’s a player who has always relished big games, so in the Hard Rock Stadium, he can start to forge a home in the hearts of the world’s most expectant fanbase.

Help Us Understand Your Football Love 📊

We're looking to better understand the beautiful game...through your eyes. It would mean the world to us if you could take a moment to fill out this quick survey about your soccer fandom — how you watch, who you cheer for, and why this game means so much. It’s short, it’s sweet, and your voice will help shape future conversations around football in America with on of our partners. Plus, you’ll be supporting GFOP-powered research — the best kind there is. TAKE THE SURVEY HERE 📝

Some Non-Football to Start the Week Off Right 📖

• A 45-year-old mystery into that weird group photo in 'The Shining' has finally been solved. Next up, determining the nutritional content of Scooby Snacks. 

• The joy and agony of learning to surf at 35. I feel equally accomplished if my knees don't make a sound when I stand up. 

• The Death of the Middle-Class Musician. Sting could rummage through his jacket pockets and find enough cash to support everyone in this article.

• What Is Great Hmong Food? And where can I get some right now!

• My Couples Retreat With 3 AI Chatbots and the Humans Who Love Them. Whatever Wired is paying Sam Apple (any relation to Tim Apple?)-triple it. 

It’s MiB Trivia Time 🤔

This week’s question: Spain and Italy’s most successful clubs, Real Madrid and Juventus, face each other in the Club World Cup this week. In their 2017 Champions League final, Madrid won 4-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring two: who scored Juve’s only goal that night in Cardiff? 

Email us with your answer for a chance to win a much-coveted MiB patch.

Last week’s winner: Congratulations to Jeremy Lena, who was first to answer the top two goal-scorers from free kicks of all time. Extra points in his honesty on how he came to his conclusion:

“Juninho 1 and Pele 2. Apparently there is some debate as to whether Zico is the true free kick champion. I have to admit that the only reason I know this is that I recently looked it up when talking to my son about Beckham's free kicks. Totally understand if that disqualifies me.”

Your candidness while spreading the word about the great David Beckham’s free kicks have won you the patch, Jeremy; it’s in the post 📦