Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello, hello everyone. Happy Thursday and welcome to a fresh edition of Football Americas. I'm Alexis Nunez alongside my Venezuelano favorito, Ale Moreno. We are holding down the fort here, Ale. A couple of things to talk about as we get ready for another weekend of football, but it's about the midweek action that we're going to talk about. Copa del Rey action.
Ale, give me one word to describe that first leg between Atleti and Barca.
Chapter 2: What happened with Lionel Messi's hamstring injury?
See, I don't care about that. I want to talk about the real issues here. Hercules came back from the Super Bowl. You came back from the Super Bowl, whatever you may want to call it. You know what the common denominator is?
I'm here.
Chapter 3: How did Inter Miami's season opener against LAFC change due to Messi's injury?
You've been here.
I've been here the whole time.
You know who left today as well?
Who's that?
Shaka Hislop has gone off for the next month, what it seems, for Trinidad Carnival.
And I'm here. I'm here.
Ale remains.
The heart and soul of Fútbol Américas.
The heart and soul of Fútbol Américas coming from Conmebo.
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Chapter 4: What was the outcome of the Copa del Rey semifinal between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona?
And I'm going to make it about my body being ready to play for Argentina in the World Cup.
Well, it's interesting that too, Lizzie, because how selfish can Messi be in terms of prioritizing? Because it seems like he has quite a few big matches coming up on the calendar where everybody is going to want to see him, even though we, of course, all want to see him suit up for Argentina. He's got the Finalissima coming up towards the end of March.
And then he has got the opening, well, the opener for...
Chapter 5: What were the controversial VAR decisions during the Atlético Madrid vs. Barcelona match?
for the new stadium that everybody's been waiting for, which I'm sure everybody will want to see him at. For the fireworks, I'm sure you will be there as well. So how does he prioritize the next March and April?
Again, I think it's important to emphasize just because athletes, when it comes to this level for them, being at peak shape means training the body to play every three to four days. Now, this isn't a new athlete and he's done so for almost his entire career. We saw it throughout his time at Barca, playing in multiple competitions. So at this point, his body is used to it.
And it's interesting because during the MLS Media Day, which is held in January, I spoke to players throughout the league who mentioned that actually this two-month break was harder on their bodies than a longer and more condensed season with multiple tournaments happening at once. So again, referencing Suarez's quote of,
Chapter 6: How did Julián Álvarez perform in the Copa del Rey semifinal?
We like to play every three to four days. We like to have our bodies in shape and referencing these players who mentioned that two months is too long of a break. Rest, for us mortals, may be something extremely different for a player of the caliber of Lionel Messi.
So prioritizing for him may just be getting into that peak shape by playing the games that he needs to be playing, which is regular season, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and now a friendly in Puerto Rico.
See, that's all well and good, in theory. The theory of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez is we want to continue to play. But this is how the rhythm of games is going to come and go for Lionel Messi this season. And not just for Lionel Messi, but for anybody who's with Inter Miami. They're going to have all sorts of competitions going on. So they'll play on a Wednesday.
You think he's training full out Thursday and Friday? No. Now, it's a slow jog around the field. If that, somebody's massaging him, somebody's taking care of him, because the important thing is that he'll be available for either Saturday and Sunday. And then we'll go Saturday, Wednesday, and Saturday, Wednesday, and it'll continue to happen.
And yes, Lionel Messi's going to want to go and play all those matches. And historically, yes, I understand what Luis Suarez is saying, that, yeah, they're all about playing every three or four days. Right. But they were 25, 30, 35 years old. Now it's a different, it's a different, different reality altogether. And neither Lionel Messi,
nor Luis Suarez, nor anybody else is gonna tell a hamstring how long it's gonna last, or a doctor how long it's gonna last. Now, I'm all for having Lionel Messi peaking, but if he's gonna peak, he's gonna have to take care of himself. And while I agree with Lizzie that nobody knows his body better than Lionel Messi, and nobody is better at managing the quality of his minutes on the field.
Because if you watch Lionel Messi, he has become very selective as to when he sprints and when he doesn't. There are many sprints in his game, but when he does it, he is very effective. So he's very intelligent about understanding the needs and wants of his body.
Well, he's going to be even more intelligent in preparation for the World Cup, and they're going to need him to do so, because you just mentioned, they're going to want to play the finalissima. He's going to want to be available for the opening of the stadium. And they're going to want him to be at his peak for all of it. And if that's going to be the case, then he's going to have to prioritize.
It's a game against AYCFC all that important in the middle of the regular season in Major League Soccer. Well, maybe not. Maybe this is not the thing that I prioritize. I prioritize the finalisima. I prioritize the opening of the stadium. I prioritize the World Cup.
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Chapter 7: What is the current coaching situation at Tottenham Hotspur?
Well, we would go to VAR for what felt like a century, Ale.
And I think the decision that VAR has to make is whether it is a new phase of play or not. It comes off of Lewandowski onto Kowarski.
Chapter 8: Could Mauricio Pochettino return to Spurs, and what would that mean?
They think it's offside. They get involved. And then Eddie Garcia gets involved and gets in trouble. Yeah, that'll do it. That'll do it as Baena is getting around Eddie Garcia. They go to VAR, they check and they say, Eric, you gone, son. He gone.
Oh, look at that. Reading each other's mind. All right, here are the match stats as Atletico de Madrid come out. Big winners in this one. But remember, this is just the first leg. It is not over yet. They do still have to go to the Camp Nou, but this is going to be a mountain to climb for Hansi Flixman, indeed. All right, Ale. Wow. Like I said, give me one word to describe that first leg.
From the perspective of Barcelona? Actually, I can give you a word that applies to both. From the perspective of Barcelona, mama! From the perspective of Atletico Madrid, mommy!
Hey! Oh, yeah. It's all about perspective. Look. I don't think any of us expected that.
No, no, no, no. Now, we have discussed time and time again, and it actually gets old to discuss it time and time again, but we only talk about it because we have to. This high line from Barcelona, today, this was a high line from the darkest corners of hell. I mean... It was awful. No pressure on the ball. And then stubbornly, they continue to produce this high line that opens up natural space.
And I mean space everywhere for Atletico Madrid. And they kept doing the same thing over and over and over and over again. And Atletico Madrid with just a simple give and go. And they're through. A simple ball all over the top. And they're through. Third man running. And they're through. Counterattack. And they're through. Just a little combination. And they're through. They're just through.
They were through. They were through everywhere. I probably could have scored. You probably could have scored. Well, I know one of those things is true. Not both of them. Not both of them. No, but the point being is that if you have no pressure on the ball, you cannot continue to play this way. It's suicidal. It's crazy talk. It really is crazy talk. And yet they continue to do it.
Don't you expect the senior players to step in at some point, especially at halftime? You're 4-0 down to Atleti. You're making Atleti look like they're playing the type of high-press football that you are known for, scoring golazos every second. At some point, doesn't the senior players look at the gaffer and just say, Coach, let's just go back to good old school defending?
Well, yes, but how do you do that when your manager is the one saying, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Hire. But coach, right here, we're comfortable here. We got the ball in front of us. We are right. We're seeing where the runners are coming. Higher. No, but hey, hey, hey, coach, mister. That's how they call the coaches in Spanish. Mister, um. We don't know what we're doing.
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