World Cup '26: Three Weeks Out

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]

Well, actually...

(This is the audio-only version of Tuesday’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/zqGd4-VtNoA?si=SHeS-99-Y-xVwvC5]) Thanks for being here! Subscribe for free to support our work and receive new posts delivered directly to your inbox. The Padres took a series from the A’s but then lost the opener to the Phillies on Monday. The offense is dreadful. Or is it unlucky? We are one third of the way through the 2026 season and asking the same questions about the same people - so what more can be said about this Padres team? We offer a few thoughts about lineups, hitting coaches and the role underlying statistics play in thinking things are better or worse than they actually are. After Padres talk, there was time to talk about the Knicks making it to the NBA Finals and Monday’s United States Mens National Team roster reveal, which actually leaked over the weekend [https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/23/usmnt-world-cup-roster-alejandro-zendejas-tanner-tessmann-gio-reyna-diego-luna]. Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter in the squad together? Ok then. The Cavs coach, Kenny Atkinson, said his team “analytically” won two of the first three games [https://x.com/ESPNCleveland/status/2058670492333064573?s=20] of the Eastern Conference playoffs, despite being down 0-3 and eventually swept. Why would anyone say that and what does that have to do with the 2023 Padres? Full circle convo. 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]

World Cup '26: Three Weeks Out

Looking for a World Cup themed podcast, just three weeks from the opening match between Mexico and South Africa? We got you. Today, our friend Eric Gomez [https://x.com/EricGomez86?s=20] stopped by the show to talk about some top storylines as we inch closer to “United 2026”. Before diving into National Teams and their unique roster reveals (here’s France's [https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYWgqXRoozx/]), we discussed the Liga MX Clausura Final between Cruz Azul and Pumas UNAM - two clubs from the Mexican capital, both led by Mexican managers, which hasn’t happened since 2013. (If you’re a San Diego FC fan, you might remember the Azul y Chrome eliminating Pumas from the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier this year.) Speaking of managers, we marveled at the recent successes of Basque-born coaches in Europe and what - if anything - is next for Pep Guardiola after he walks away from Manchester City this weekend. We then talked about the different roster reveals and how the World Cup will be the final one for legends like Neymar, Messi, CR7 and James Rodriguez. Is it even possible to NOT feel happy for Neymar after seeing his reaction [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gmKH6W_236o]to getting called in? Finally, is there a country that hasn’t previously won the World Cup who might be a first time winner in 2026? We agree on a few. Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. 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]

Padres Beat LA

(This is the audio-only version of Tuesday’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/nxdEV05ZdCU?si=qq1cmNkZGyVWYgjd]) Michael King was brilliant. Mason Miller got the job done. The Padres defeated the Dodgers 1-0 on Monday night. While one of us was watching Victor Wembanyama doing his best Steph Curry impression [https://x.com/NBA/status/2056576119759859933?s=20], the other two were focussed on a memorable pitching duel at Petco Park. We discussed the start from King, Miller’s unique save, the backstory of Rodolfo Durán and other details from the first game of the regular season between the NL West rivals. AJ also had thoughts Lucas Giolito’s first start as a Padre and if optimism for the offense is fading. Predictably, there were a few detours in this conversation to discuss coffee, San Diego FC dropping more points late and if anyone still scores baseball games. 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]

San Diego vs FCC Preview

San Diego FC snapped its 10-match winless streak on Wednesday night against Austin FC and bossed the match from start to finish. We saw one of the most dominating performances of the season, in which every player in the starting XI contributed to the win and to the team’s first clean sheet since March 7th against Sporting KC. There were some interesting moments from Wednesday’s win and some random player notes which are discussed in this episode. What does Marcus Ingvartsen’s 9th goal of 2026 mean in context of the Club’s history? How significant were the goal contributions from David Vazquez and Pedro Soma? A rotated backline for SDFC produced a clean sheet for the 4th time this season. Causation or correlation? Also in this episode, a preview of Saturday’s match against FC Cincinnati — the first ever meeting between the two sides. (Random note - SDFC is 11-5-5 when facing MLS teams for the first time) Our guest is FCC play-by-play man Tommy Gelehrter, who has been calling games for the Orange and Blue since their USL days at Nippert Stadium. Tommy has great insight on the club, its history and what type of form the team is in for Saturday’s East vs West showdown. Both sides are 4-5-4 heading into the penultimate matchday before the World Cup break. SDFC and FCC are amongst the highest scoring teams in MLS with 25 and 27 goals, respectively. FC Cincinnati, though, has allowed 32 goals in 13 games - third highest in Major League Soccer. There’s also the subplot of former teammates Anders Dreyer and FCC’s Evander, who are opponents on the pitch for the first time. The pair played together from 2020-2023 at Midtjylland in Denmark, combining for 58 goals and 43 assists (per FBRef.Com). Not betting on the scoreless draw in this one. Injury report: : You can listen to the match on San Diego Sports 760, the IHeartRadio App [https://www.iheart.com/live/san-diego-sports-760-8528?app=listen] or on AppleTV by locating the “Home Radio” option in the lower righthand corner of your screen. I’ll be on the call with Adrian Garcia Marquez, pregame coverage at 6PM. If you’re going to the match, don’t forget it’s Anders Dreyer Bobblehead Night for the first 20,000 through the gates. 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]