World Cup Preview: USMNT

World Cup Preview: USMNT

(You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-section-1904-podcast/id1878517518] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6qK7rBdrzbifPjLMSSlqya?si=cc4982d3d50f4937] and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode on YouTube, click here [https://youtube.com/@martytimetv?si=Ndk4McyAdqO_Xbk0]) We are now hours away from the start of the World Cup. The ironically-named “United Bid” will oversee an unprecedented 48 team tournament played over 39 days. Opening Ceremonies are Thursday in Mexico City and the Final will be July 19th in New Jersey. Getting to the starting block of this World Cup has been a bumpy ride. From the FIFA Peace Prize nonsense to non-stop ticketing issues to international incidents, hydration breaks and unnecessary confusion over water bottles, it hasn’t inspired. For a good recap on all the things that have plagued the run up, I’d recommend this piece from Miguel Delaney of The Independent. [https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fifa-world-cup-2026-trump-infantino-iran-somalia-b2992923.html] I don’t have the energy to create 100 different hyperlinks for this post. However, in this podcast, we focus exclusively on the United States Men’s National Team and Group D. The USMNT will open with Paraguay on Friday, face Australia on June 19th and close with Türkiye on June 25th. An interesting draw. Backheeled.Com [https://www.backheeled.com]’s Joe Lowery is our guest. Joe and the team have done tremendous work [https://www.backheeled.com/how-to-sound-smart-about-usmnt-during-world-cup-pochettino-roster/] covering the stories that matter most to USMNT fans. We talked about the roster, style of play and what to expect from the opponents in Group D. Which positions do we think are deepest and which positions cause concern? Who has the most to gain and what could an actual home field advantage mean in this tournament? And how do we each define “success” for this host nation? All that and much more in today’s conversation. Joe will also be in Los Angeles for the opener and is co-hosting an event on Thursday night [https://bsky.app/profile/totalsoccershow.bsky.social/post/3mnuwqw6iyk2a]. If you are in the area, stop by and support some of our independent media colleagues. If you’re looking for something local, come hang out with San Diego FC and Fox 5 in Mission Beach [https://www.sandiegofc.com/club/fifa-world-cup] for every game of the World Cup. We will be at Fit Social on the Pacific Ocean every day of the tournament. Special guests, music, giveaways - it’ll be a party. San Diego knows how to get down for the World Cup. See you there. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com [https://dsmithshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

"WCCBBV Whatever It Is..."

(This is the audio-only version of Monday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-section-1904-podcast/id1878517518] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6qK7rBdrzbifPjLMSSlqya?si=cc4982d3d50f4937] and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here [https://www.youtube.com/live/BbANMth7aRo?si=MMk2CyldBksOr9jk]) The Padres dropped two-of-three to the New York Mets over the weekend. Aside from Freddy Fermin’s surprising power, it was a tough watch. Pitching, hitting, base running…Ramon Laureano is out for the season. You get the point. Will it turn around as Craig Stammen consistently suggests? We talked about that. We also talked about Manny Machado’s memorable media availability on Friday. Turns out, Manny isn't a huge fan of analytics [https://youtube.com/shorts/RKlSVv5KS-Q?si=9MLzArLw-2jP26jd]. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone but his commentary did lead us down a few pathways. What stats are on the Petco Park scoreboard and which ones can we live without? Should Manny be more receptive to modern data to see if something could help his current form [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/machama01.shtml]? Was this a veiled shot at the Padres R&D / coaching staff? It was probably just Manny being Manny. We also talked the NBA Finals shifting to Madison Square Garden and Donald Trump’s expected appearance at Game 3, which has created a huge headache for fans and everyone else in Midtown Manhattan. [https://x.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/2064033878613053704?s=20] Things are moving quickly and we have updated information about World Cup watch parties, so please subscribe here or on MartyTimeTV to get the latest audio and video content emailed directly when it drops. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com [https://dsmithshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Castellanos Out

(This is the audio-only version of Wednesday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-section-1904-podcast/id1878517518] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6qK7rBdrzbifPjLMSSlqya?si=cc4982d3d50f4937] and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here [https://www.youtube.com/live/798Txtz_poI?si=1NMzKgLZ5CtoFp9I]) The Padres have lost six of their past seven games but the news on Wednesday was about a roster change. The Padres announced that OF Nick Castellanos had been designated for assignment. Castellanos was a gamble worth taking for AJ Preller. It didn’t work out. It happens. There’s lots of ways to parse through statistics but a player with a -.09 BRWAR and a slash line of 191/221/339 shouldn’t have job security, unless you’re financially anchored to the player. Of the SIX position players posting a negative WAR, he was the worst and most expendable. So now what? On Wednesday’s podcast, we talked about the handful of positive moments Castellanos provided on and off the field and how he might have stuck around longer if the Padres weren’t bottom of the barrel in almost every major offensive category. Fare thee well, Nick. The Padres called up an infielder, Samad Taylor, to replace Castellanos on the roster. Will it matter? Is it fair to rip Jase Bowen for the qualities of his ABs on Tuesday? Eight more years of Manny!? We also talked about the level of anxiety for the lifelong and emotionally scarred Knicks fan on this podcast and what travel plans, if any, are being made to catch a game of this series in-person. Talking baseball - even Padres baseball - was a healthy break from scrolling through Knicks edits on social media. That said, you should definitely watch this [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZGgcXVR7SB/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]. Let’s Go Knicks ! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com [https://dsmithshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Scanalysis

(This is the audio-only version of Monday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-section-1904-podcast/id1878517518] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6qK7rBdrzbifPjLMSSlqya?si=cc4982d3d50f4937] and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/yE9H5s2ODkw?si=RMTmsHqSdieTaLi5]) Good news! Fernando Tatis Jr hit his first HR of the season [https://x.com/MLB/status/2060831068492603489?s=20] on Saturday. Bad news! It came in a loss in the second game of a series the Padres lost to the Nationals. The Padres have scored the fewest runs in the National League and third fewest in all of Major League Baseball. Since beating LA, the Padres have gone 3-8 and have been bitten by bad hitting, pitching and base running. What gives? Padres TV’s Bob Scanlan joined us on his off day in Philadelphia to talk about the sigh of relief for Fernando - and his teammates - encouraging signs from Jackson Merrill. We also talked about the Padres hitting coaches, how to know if they’re doing a good job, and how players deal with so many competing voices in their heads. Scan, a former Phillies draft pick also talked about the role the organization played in his professional development before he was traded to the Cubs for Mitch Williams. After Scan exited to pursue cheesesteaks, we finished the show talking about the NBA Finals, the insane pricing for tickets [https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/05/31/diamond-ring-or-nosebleed-seat-knicks-finals-tickets-cost-more-than-manhattan-rent-mortgages-more/] and how to possibly manage the next six weeks with the Finals and World Cup less than two weeks away. Possibly related - you can support our work by subscribing to these shows on YouTube or by hitting the button below. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com [https://dsmithshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The USMNT Roster

(This is the audio-only version of Thursday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-section-1904-podcast/id1878517518] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6qK7rBdrzbifPjLMSSlqya?si=cc4982d3d50f4937] and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here [https://www.youtube.com/live/M5B4R82PoL8?si=ehLnSnONC8rcTexI]) Thursday is an off day for the San Diego Padres, which feels like a good thing for everyone involved. The media are running out of new and creative ways to describe the offensive futility. Fans are frustrated. Players are searching for answers. After Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia, Marty covered the Padres clubhouse and asked Manny Machado about the team’s hitting coaches and got an interesting answer [https://x.com/MartyCaswell/status/2059786369581388192?s=20] about where blame lies. We also talked about Machado’s recent media sessions overall and how the tone sounds different from the clubhouse tone setter [https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2023/09/15/as-padres-season-spirals-questions-emerge-about-culture-cohesion-and-chemistry/]: The Pads will play next in Washington D.C. and then in Philadelphia. If more Padres coverage is what you desire, please find the latest episodes of Friar Territory here [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSahc_2y7XWa_mmqdb85sjg]. After the baseball talk, we welcomed in our friend, Eric Gomez from ESPN in Mexico City, to talk about the United States Men’s National Team roster reveal, including Mauricio Pocettino’s decision to email the rejects [https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/26/usmnt-world-cup-squad-mauricio-pochettino-email-players]. Is this a big deal or just par for the course with U.S. Soccer these days? Eric also provided great insight on Alejandro Zendejas, offering high praise for the Club America winger and the potential for a World Cup breakout. We also talked about whether success for the U.S. is directly linked to Christian Pulisic and if Pochettino would be wise to have a backup plan in case Pulisic can’t shake his recent form (Pulisic hasn’t yet scored a goal in 2026). We ended the convo talking about the upcoming Mexican National Team announcement on June 1st, including any potential for a surprise following El Tri’s 2-0 win over Ghana last week. Will Club Tijuana’s Gilberto Mora have fellow Xolos teammates along for the ride? Is there a player who Eric thinks should make it who seems to be on the outside looking in? The World Cup starts two weeks from Friday. Thanks for being here! Subscribe for free to receive new posts, podcasts and videos - sent directly to your inbox. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com [https://dsmithshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]