Hail GFOP!

Rog writes: Welcome back, Gio Reyna. How good did that feel to witness? A 23-year-old fallen starboy, whose club career has stalled out, returned to the national team fold – a wildcard re-emergence – and inside four minutes, seized the opportunity by scoring his first goal of any kind for 10 months.

Hats off to Mauricio Pochettino for taking this gamble and having it pay off so quickly. Reyna ran off and pointed to his chest as if to remind us, “Yes, I did this.” He would later play the decisive role in setting up the U.S. winner for Flo Balogun and prove himself to himself as much as anything. That he remains a player with a hunger, and a willingness to seize the game in moments. To be a difference maker who can get it done in a squad shorn of its biggest names. Much more on this game below, and watch our recent interview with Gio here. 🇺🇲

ii. Other highlights of the weekend: Make sure you see this! Ireland’s new saint, Troy Parrott, netted his third of the game in the 96th minute against Hungary to deliver a delirious nation into the playoffs. The 23-year-old former Tottenham trainee, who plays in the Dutch Eredivisie for AZ Alkmaar, poked the ball home from close range and stormed off into history. The emotional power in this moment is epic. The Irish reminded us why international football is so great. Unheralded, they just beat Portugal at home, saw Ronaldo be sent off, and then this on the road with the last touch. 🇮🇪

Remember: The goals came almost 16 years to the day since Thierry Henry’s controversial handball no-call in the second leg of the 2010 World Cup playoff knocked Ireland out. Now this moment sees Ireland once again in a playoff to qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 2002. 😮

Also: Watch Erling Haaland and the truly gifted Norway squad celebrate qualifying for the first time since 1998. Haaland did it his way, after netting 16 goals in eight World Cup qualifiers. It is beautiful to watch these global superstars — multi-millionaires whom we see week in, week out for their clubs — dance like kids. Only the World Cup can do this. 🇳🇴

More: Here is who has qualified and who is still to come. 🏆

PS - Come on Scotland! How their stadium will roar Tuesday night in a win against Denmark. Any World Cup is 87% better with that Scottish fan base drinking us dry and dancing in our fountains. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

iii. NWSL Playoff Semi-Finals were banging. This is Gotham’s 96th-minute winner that propelled them into the finals to play the Washington Spirit. So happy for the super-talent that is Jaedyn Shaw, a player who deserves every ounce of the spotlight. Just 20 years old, after shuffling through clubs in the search of the right culture, it is a human delight to see her soar. I can’t wait to be out in San Jose this week to do our sold-out live show Thursday night ahead of the final. Come and have a pint with us, Bay Area! 🍻

iv. On Friday, we debuted “Player Pathways,” presented by our friends at Allstate. These three interviews across Men in Blazers, VAMOS, and The Women’s Game are essential and inspiring, getting you inside the minds of some up-and-coming American players: Diego Kochen, backup keeper for Barcelona; Da'vian Kimbrough, the youngest professional player in U.S. history; and KK Ream, the youngest goalscorer in NWSL history. The future of U.S. Soccer is here. 🇺🇸

v. We value your opinion so bloody much. It’s massively helpful for us and our partners to hear from you in this new, quick survey. As a thank you for lending us your voice, those who participate will be entered to win a $100 gift card to our NEW Men in Blazers shop.

Did we say new shop? Yes, this week, we’ll be unveiling an all new online store with a brand new essentials line. We’ll continue to release more collections and apparel regularly and we’d love to hear from you about what you want to see more of. Let us know at [email protected]. 🧢

vi. Thank you, New Orleans. I had an incredible time at Tulane this weekend. I find that city to be the most nourishing and soulful place to re-energize. I adore the university and its vibrancy. Proper Football School, too. Above all, to experience the rise of football fandom as I trot around eating all the crawfish, beignets, and Bearcat offerings, and meeting you GFOPs along the way, thrills me more than I can say. ⚜️

I am filming this week with Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris and my hero, Jack Grealish. See you in the Bay Area, GFOPs.

PS - A big shoutout to One Knoxville SC, who won the USL League One championship over the weekend. An undefeated record at their new fortress, Covenant Health Park, to go along with their Player’s Shield win, what a season! 🏆

To more.

Courage,
ROG

MiB HQ Bulletin Board 📣

What a Massive Win for the Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 

By Tommy Stewart

Hungary 2-3 Republic of Ireland 🇭🇺 🇮🇪

When Hungary were 2-1 up with only 10 minutes to play in Budapest’s Puskas Arena, the traveling Irish support were praying for a messianic figure to rescue them; thankfully new national hero Troy Parrott answered. Dániel Lukács latched on to a Dominik Szoboszlai cross in the fourth minute, only for the 23-year-old AZ Alkmaar striker, Parrott, to reply with a cool penalty just over 10 minutes later, adding to the heroic brace he scored against Portugal last Thursday. Barnabás Varga, who is a Hungary striker, not a Durmstrang Institute pupil, put the home side up with a beauty before the break, but Parrott would not be stopped. He cemented his place in an already rich Irish folklore yesterday by first putting his team level in the 80th minute before scrambling home the winner in the 96th. Were it not for his five goals across two games, Ireland would not be going to the World Cup play-offs and hopefully continuing the party in the USA they started in in 1994. The mix of joy, relief and tears in Parrott’s post-match interview reminds us why the international game is truly so special.

Albania 0-2 England 🇦🇱 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

With World Cup qualification already secured, Thomas Tuchel held open auditions in Albania yesterday, and Jordan Pickford’s deputy between the sticks, Dean Henderson, enjoyed the stage time, maintaining England’s clean-sheet record with some simple but important saves. His opposite number, Thomas Strakosha, was much busier, keeping out Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka in the second half until the latter translated his Set Piece FC methodology to the Three Lions with a pinpoint corner in the 74th minute to the feet of Harry Kane. Just eight minutes later, substitute Marcus Rashford whipped in a cross to find the head of captain Kane, who surpassed Pelé’s Brazil tally with that his 78th international goal. With the victory, England completed the best qualifying campaign in their history, winning eight matches while conceding no goals, something no European side has ever done before.

Portugal 9-1 Armenia 🇵🇹 🇦🇲

UEFA Nations League champions Portugal were schoolyard bullies in Porto’s Estádio do Dragão yesterday, unleashing the pain suffered in their 2-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland last Thursday on poor Armenia. In a squad full of leaders, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was one of two players to score a hat-trick, the other being PSG’s João Neves. Although he’d never admit it, Roberto Martinez and his side were perhaps liberated by the absence of their captain and all-time top goalscorer, Cristiano Ronaldo. He was suspended for seeing a petulant red last week, but the 40-year-old will return to make a record-breaking sixth World Cup appearance next year after the comprehensive win guaranteed qualification.

And Now, Rog’s Totally Chill Thoughts on the USMNT Win 🇺🇸 

USA 2-1 Paraguay 🇺🇸 🇵🇾

Rog writes: What a joy to witness the Gio Reyna redemption game. The U.S. faced a solid World Cup-qualified opponent and found a way to win without Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams or Chris Richards. (Weston McKennie also not there, though the player is clearly briefing his absence was the coach’s choice.)

As good as it was to watch Gio revel in a U.S. jersey once again, there is a surreal reality to where we are now right now with just three more games to play until the World Cup squad is announced. Only 206 days from the World Cup opener, the U.S. men’s national team are still experimenting through their options, taking selection gambles and missing opportunities to have a stable team build reps and chemistry. The good news: it worked on Saturday.

A Nation Now Wonders If Gio Is Truly Back 🤔

And by nation, I mean our tight little soccer bubble. The reality is our team is yet to grab the mainstream attention and deliver a breakthrough performance, which is a concern in its own right. What we saw on Saturday was a reminder that Gio Reyna can be a creative difference maker in a World Cup, which is a tournament of moments. 

A subplot to the Gio mania: Cristian Roldan followed up his two-assist game against Australia by forcing the turnover that led to the team's winner. He is such a Poch player. World Cup bound. 

Balogun Rises to the Occasion (and Top of the Depth Chart) 📈

We have ourselves a clear leader in the long national nightmare to find a No. 9. At a time when Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright are also scoring prolifically for their clubs, Flo Balogun is the leader in the clubhouse at the international level. He netted the winner – his eighth for our nation and third in his last four games. Bona fide starter.

The Backline Is Still Coming Together 🚧

Our three-man backline adaptation continues to be a process. Lacking Chris Richards and the human shield that is Tyler Adams, Tim Ream, Miles Robinson and Joe Scally were caught switching off. The lapse in concentration has become a feature, not a bug. As much as I enjoy watching Max Arfsten and Sergiño Dest bombing forward, they will be tested as defenders by better teams. This back-three has to find a chemistry which will ensure we are not exposed. 

Here is the lovely note: The U.S. is unbeaten in four-straight against top-25 teams for the first time in a decade. Friendlies yes, but that is our lot. The game against Uruguay Tuesday night will be another fine test. May we continue to learn and build.

📬 Enjoying The Raven? Check out our other MiB newsletters:

☀️ The Women’s Game: Everything you need to know about women’s football, sent straight to your inbox each week.

🔍 The Correspondent: Rory Smith’s thoughts on the world of soccer, culture, food, and how they all connect – every Thursday.

🇺🇸 USMNT Only: Your regular update on the most important topics in the U.S. men’s game, all leading up to next year’s World Cup.

Three Other Storylines from the Int’l Break 👀

Tuchel's Abundance of No. 10s 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

In an ideal world, Thomas Tuchel would reduce Bellingham, Eze, Foden, Rogers and Palmer into one perfect No. 10, but unfortunately, at least two of the aforementioned will probably miss out on next year’s England WC squad. There are worse managerial headaches to have and the German has already proven he’s unafraid of making sacrificial culls for the betterment of the team, with Bellingham and Foden being omitted from his last squad. While both impressed on their reintroduction to the Three Lions’ setup, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers has generally been Tuchel’s go-to string-puller in midfield as he continues to step up for his country despite his poor league form. It’s hard to envision the squad without Eze or Palmer either, but it’s a very tangible possibility that both won’t make it; tough decisions like these are why Tuchel is the second-highest paid international manager around. 

Italy in Danger Again? 🇮🇹

Italy are one of the most storied and successful footballing nations in history, winning the World Cup four times and the Euros twice, but incredibly they haven’t competed for football’s greatest prize since 2014. Before their 4-1 defeat at the hands of Erling Haaland’s mighty Norway yesterday, they’d won six on the bounce, but Gennaro Gattuso’s side must now find a way to the USA via the play-offs, where they’ve been unceremoniously knocked out by Sweden and North Macedonia in the last two World Cup qualification campaigns. Between those catastrophes, they won the Euros in 2021, but as the joint-second most successful nation in World Cup history, pride and identity are on the line. If Italy get there, it’ll be through one of Wales, North Macedonia, Romania, Northern Ireland, or Sweden, and 2006 World Cup-winner Gattuso knows there are few pushovers in international football. 

More: Italy fighting to avoid another ‘apocalyptic’ World Cup failure

Mikel Arteta’s International Injury Worries 🤕

Gabriel has emerged as Mikel Arteta’s most crucial player for Arsenal this season, so news of an injury on international duty for Brazil over the weekend will be troubling. Ironically, the Emirates was the scene of the crime on Saturday, where the center-back “underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh” ahead of a crucial run of games against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea coming up. His international manager, Carlo Ancelotti, raised no eyebrows by apologizing for the injury, but news of fellow defender, Riccardo Calafiori, withdrawing from Italy’s squad due to a hip injury will only add to Arteta’s woes.

Some Absolute Weekend Worldies, Presented by New Balance 🚀

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

Mid-Week Matches Worth Faking a Meeting for 📺

Germany vs. Slovakia (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET, FOX Sports) 🇩🇪 🇸🇰 

Group A is on a knife’s edge with only goal difference dividing Germany and Slovakia in this WC qualification decider at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena. Although Germany were stodgy in Friday’s 2-0 victory against Luxembourg in which Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade netted a brace, Julian Nagelsmann was rewarded for his faith in Leroy Sané, who was involved in both goals after being neglected in recent squads. Slovakia beat this same German side in September and come into this game off the back of a 1-0 win against Northern Ireland, hoping to confirm a place in their first World Cup in 15 years.

Netherlands vs. Lithuania (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET, Fubo) 🇳🇱 🇱🇹

The Netherlands only need a draw against Lithuania in Amsterdam today to guarantee their World Cup spot. Ronald Koeman’s young, talented squad were once again rescued by resident renaissance man, Memphis Depay, in their 1-1 draw against Poland on Friday. He’s his country’s top goalscorer and assist-maker and will be fundamental to their success both tonight and in next summer’s tournament. 

Scotland vs. Denmark (Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, Fubo) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇩🇰

It’s a straightforward equation for Steve Clarke’s Scotland tomorrow: beat Denmark and qualify for a first World Cup since 1998. They’ve been blessed by a sickness bug in the Danish camp that might mean either key players miss out, or perhaps some unhappy Danes on the Hampden Park pitch, but either way it’s advantage Scotland ahead of kick-off. Their 3-2 loss on Saturday against Greece makes a win imperative, and while Billy Gilmour will miss out to injury, Scott McTominay, John McGinn and Andy Robertson should all play.

Some Non-Football to Start the Week Off 📖

• This is RIVETING: The Missing Kayaker.

• ‘I’m still processing how awful it was’: your zero-star screen disasters. Clearly none of these people have seen “Megalopolis.” 

• Ahab or Ishmael? I'm Bringing the Class War to Nantucket. 

• Why America Builds AI Girlfriends and China Makes AI Boyfriends. Only a matter of time before the AI Girlfriends find the AI Boyfriends and cut the humans out entirely. 

• OK, technically this is football, but it’s too interesting not to share: The teenager who quit Manchester City for Oxford. ⚽️

It’s MiB Trivia Time 🤔

This week’s question: Who was the USMNT’s goalkeeper the last time they beat Uruguay?

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

Last week’s answer: No one correctly identified who the top goal-scorers for both Manchester City and Liverpool are when the two clubs have faced each other in the Premier League. The answers were Sergio Agüero and Mo Salah. Better luck next time, gang!

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