00:00The roster's been revealed. The group stage is set. We're less than two weeks away until the U.S. men's
00:06national team heads out to get some World Cup action and defend home soil. I'm hanging out with Modest 76
00:14and of course the fans of New York City to get the vibes going into this year's World Cup.
00:20Let's go, baby!
00:22Dolly, Dolly, USA! Dolly, Dolly, Dolly, USA! Dolly, Dolly, USA!
00:38It's USA against the world. We're feeling the vibes out here, feeling the love. My man, loving the kit, loving
00:45the bandana.
00:46You, sir, are dressed like a true American patriot. I'm loving it, man. I left mine at home. Sorry. Dry
00:53cleaning bill is a little bit too expensive these days.
00:56Hanging here with hype man, the capo. Capo. Capo. I got that right. You did.
01:00I'm the Giants' in-game MC. I like to call myself him-see. So from one MC hype man to
01:05himself, respect, brother.
01:08U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
01:15What are your realistic expectations for the U.S. Men's National Team?
01:20I think they're definitely getting out of the group. I think they're definitely making it to round of 16.
01:25I think that they have the most even group as far as level. And they have a lot of pressure.
01:30So I need them to get to quarterfinals at the very least.
01:33I think this should at least make it into the round of 16. But a quarterfinals should be like a
01:41slight expectation.
01:43I'm doing round of 8 for us. Round of 8?
01:46Round of 8. It's ambitious, but I think we can do it. And from there, you know, anything can happen.
01:51What's your expectations on the team this year in the World Cup?
01:55Winning.
01:55You want them to win? You think we get out of the group state?
01:58Yeah.
01:59I expect we go far in the tournament. I mean, we have a great and talented team.
02:03From Pulisic, McKennie, Huea, Balogon. So many good players we have in our team.
02:09I believe we can do well, especially with the group we have. I think we are fortunate to have a
02:13good group, unlike others.
02:15So I think we can do well in the tournament.
02:17I think they're going to surprise everyone. Nobody really thinks they're good, but I think they're going to surprise everyone.
02:23It's definitely going to be our season up there. It's our World Cup up there. I'm here to support the
02:27Met Turner up there.
02:28See them in the team, you know. Bring the World Cup back home. Save all the goals as possible up
02:34there.
02:35I don't want to see any goals going past him up there. That's what I'm here for, you know.
02:39See the match, you know. You have to go to the match. Bring the Cup back home.
02:42We all are waiting up. There's a long, you know. We need it back home.
02:45I think that a lot of people are going to underestimate this team.
02:48There's a good mix of both veteran players and new players to switch the talent around.
02:53And I think we're going to do great. I definitely see us getting out of the group pretty well.
02:59And then on to the knockout.
03:01You know, this will be the eighth World Cup I've been to.
03:03And I've seen the team, you know, grow from 94 when guys were, you know, barely professional players, right?
03:10And now we've got, you know, a group of players that have talent. They have experience. They have World Cup
03:15experience.
03:16So I think, you know, surely the 16, round of 16 is guaranteed. And hopefully they'll go beyond that.
03:21Well, I think basic expectations are just effort, heart, and true grit, right?
03:25This is, that's the mainstay of U.S. soccer teams, both the men's and the women's.
03:30So, you know, but going into the games, we need a, we need a W against Paraguay.
03:35It takes the pressure off. We go up to Seattle. We take care of Australia.
03:39And then, you know, we roll into that third game. No pressure. Should be on top of the group. No
03:44problems.
03:45And just figure out who we play in San Jose.
03:47Quarterfinals are bust. That's all I got to say. If this team does not make the quarterfinals, I'm going to
03:52eat my shoelaces or something out here.
03:54You know what I mean? But no, in all actuality, in all actuality, we got the players, we got the
03:59coach, we got the roster.
04:01Let's go, USA. Let's go. Matter of fact, I'm going to double down. Semi-finals are bust.
04:05My man said he was going to eat his shoelaces. Bart Simpson said, eat my shorts.
04:10If they don't make it to the semifinals, then what are you going to eat?
04:13I am tired of hearing we just want to make it out to group stage. We just want to make
04:18it to the round of 16.
04:20We want to win a World Cup on our home soil. We're out here. Before I die, I'm hoping to
04:25see us win.
04:26And we got the team to do it. We got the coaches to do it. We got the fans to
04:29do it. And you got bottom to do it.
04:31So let's win us a damn World Cup. Let's go.
04:33Do you feel like there's a lot of pressure on the guys from the golden generation to perform well in
04:40this World Cup?
04:41Oh, absolutely. There has to be pressure there, right? This has been years in the making. We've known this was
04:47coming, right?
04:48And for better or for worse, they've been labeled a special generation for U.S. Soccer, right?
04:53They're going to feel that pressure. That being said, they're professionals. They're playing in the top leagues in the world,
04:58right?
04:59These are the best of the best. It's the best we have that are healthy right now and are able
05:03to play.
05:03They know what's in front of them. They know how to handle themselves. They'll get the job done.
05:07I think they'll be playing pressure. It's the same thing back in 94 when my dad first watched the tournament.
05:12There was some pressure, some expectation that the U.S. wouldn't go far.
05:15But hey, they did this on trial. They won total to total Romania, Colombia, hell even Brazil.
05:20It wasn't for like a goal and stuff. Hell, you couldn't even know. We could probably beat them.
05:24So I think with this tournament, I think we have the expectation to go far and beat the teams that
05:29we want.
05:29No doubt the home, you know, audience is going to have much more focus on the team.
05:36You know, it's not just going to be the most avid fans watching the U.S. national team now.
05:41It's going to be fans that are casual fans who don't normally watch soccer.
05:45And we're the USA, right? They're going to want us to win. They're going to expect us to win.
05:49I would think so. I mean, we've been told for the past, beyond just the past four years, even longer,
05:54that these were the guys. These were the ones who were going to come in and take over.
05:58What wasn't working before needed to work now. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't.
06:02So they should feel pressure. I mean, that's a privilege to be able to have that pressure
06:07because that means that people expect a lot of you because they believe in you.
06:11Absolutely. You know, it's a home nation. You know, we're hosting the whole world up there.
06:16Being at home, you know, we offer you to support our nations.
06:21But, obviously, that adds up the extra, you know, the pressure on the teams up there.
06:25But, again, my only suggestion up there, don't worry. We're here to support you.
06:28You know, however you do it, we're here to support you up there.
06:31Wherever you are, we will be there to, you know, to cheer for you. You know, Team USA.
06:36I think because we spent years trying to prove something, and now we're hosting it on, like, home soil
06:41and in front of your home fans, and this can be pivotal for soccer if the U.S. does well.
06:47I think they have that pressure, but I don't think they overthink it.
06:52I think they are prepared mentally for this challenge.
06:56If you, like, try hard and, I guess, train harder, you'll be so good at the game,
07:02and you'll win until the final.
07:05Who scores the first goal for the U.S. men's national team this World Cup?
07:11Florian Balogun.
07:12I'm going to say Weston McKinney.
07:14I think he'll be a screamer in my opinion and stuff.
07:17Pulisic!
07:19Christian Pulisic.
07:20I might think to say Pulisic.
07:23That's a tough call for me. Let's see how that goes up there.
07:28You got a name of players.
07:30I don't want to jinx it up there.
07:31How are you going to jinx? You want somebody to score. We want goals, no?
07:35I'm going to say Weston McKinney from outside the box against Paraguay in the 17th minute.
07:42So it's a corner kick in the 23rd minute.
07:45Ball just kind of, you know, in the box, and Balogun puts it away.
07:49When you watch these guys play, does that inspire you to play soccer
07:55and to be the next guy to score a huge goal in the World Cup for USA?
08:00Yeah.
08:01Awesome, man. Appreciate it. Appreciate it.
08:07Using your paws or your fingers, what number of the player is going to score the first goal
08:14for the U.S. Men's National Team in the World Cup?
08:17Hmm. Calls only, please.
08:24Call language, two.
08:29Seven. 27.
08:32Ah, the banner. Ah, there you go. Are you going to score? All right. All right. There we go.
08:38The first Knicks goal, is it going to be off of a kick or a header? Can you give us
08:43that?
08:44All right. A header. A header. I absolutely love it.
08:46Absolutely. You ready to go out to L.A.? It's hot out there.
08:50Okay.
08:52Ah, you're surfing. We're going to ride this wave of the U.S. Men's National Team all the way to
08:58L.A.
08:58Absolutely love it. Let's go. If there's one beat, if there's one chant, you want all of America to get
09:05down with right now as we get ready for that first match against Paraguay.
09:10What we got?
09:33You can see the vibes as we head out and out to L.A. for the U.S. Men's National
09:37Team.
09:37The vibes in the city, the vibes around the United States are as high as it's ever been.
09:43No pressure, just privilege. Go out and compete, boys.
Comments