Today's Talking Points
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1The USA are one of three host nations, playing in front of home crowds who are still, collectively, figuring out how to watch football. Expect 70,000 people in stadiums that normally host the Super Bowl — passionate but occasionally confused about the rules.
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2Their coach is Mauricio Pochettino, who built Tottenham into a Champions League finalist before being sacked. By European standards he's a genuinely respected manager, which feels like a significant upgrade for US football.
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3The USA open on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles against Paraguay. The crowd will be enormous. The noise will be genuine. The football may or may not be — but at least it'll look good on telly.
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4American football is growing fast. This squad is full of players who actually grew up loving the game rather than just playing it because they were tall. The talent level is higher than at any previous US World Cup.
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5They're in Group D with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. If the USA don't get out of the group playing at home, it will be a national incident. Probably mention that — it sets up the stakes nicely.
🍺 Top Thing To Say Down The Pub
Pochettino built Spurs into a Champions League finalist. Now he's managing America's national team. Genuinely no idea how that happened but it seems to be working.
🚫 Avoid Saying
"Americans don't really care about football" — they're hosting it and have hired a top European manager. Whatever they thought before, they care now.