Audio Dispatch: I’m on the Ground in Spain Ahead of USMNT-Saudi Arabia
Two-part dispatch: Free subscribers get my dispatch. Paid subscribers get the full audio of the interview Gregg Berhalter did today with a small group of media on the ground here.
MURCIA, Spain — We’re back covering the USMNT’s Tuesday game against Saudi Arabia, and so is the Audio Dispatch! This time we’ve got two audio tracks to listen to: My usual dispatch, which is free, and then for paying subscribers the 25-minute interview Gregg Berhalter did today with a small group of journalists who are here on the ground in Spain. (It’s a really good window into Berhalter’s thinking, and you should check it out!) This is a different interview than the one Berhalter did later in the day on Zoom for media in the United States.
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First off, here’s my usual Audio Dispatch, which includes my story about Cristiano Ronaldo visiting the SI swimsuit launch party a few years ago and my interaction with him:
And behind the paywall is Gregg Berhalter’s 25-minute interview with a small group of journalists here in Spain today:
Let me know what’s on your mind in the comments!
Thanks for the 25 minutes with Gregg. I thought his tactical discussion was revealing.
Sean McVay uses that tactic of taking on the blame, too. And 90% of the time it’s to cover for others.
But GB deserves taking responsibility in the Japan match. If they did any scouting, they’d see Japan is the worse possible team to play from outta the back.
Any observer could see 10-15 minutes into the match that Japan’s teamwork and quick Energizer bunny swarming demanded a plan B or C. Immediately.
I’d call these matches “Super Friendlies” since they are the final preparations for the WC.
Hopefully GB learned a big lesson. Because this team needed an adjustment.