U.S. vs Ecuador & Australia Preview + 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Outlook

Alexi Lalas, Stu Holden and David Mosse bring you immediate reaction to the USMNT’s 1-1 draw in a friendly against Ecuador. Did this match prove that the USA should stay with its new look back three formation or revert to a more traditional back four? Alexi and Stu have differing opinions. Folarin Balogun scored his 7th career international goal for the USMNT and the trio discuss if he has locked down the starting striker position. Christian Pulisic came on as a 2nd half sub raising the question of his status as the “USMNT’s Messi.”Elsewhere around the globe, more World Cup spots were locked in, the USYNT continued its run in the U20 World Cup soundly beating Italy, and an upset in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying is brewing.All that and more in this LIVE episode of State of the Union! Intro (0:00)Starting XI thoughts: Back three prevails (5:28)Christian Pulisic is the U.S. Messi (25:10USYNT into quarterfinals (34:0)2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying recap (36:41) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse gear up for the USMNT’s October window with plenty of burning questions. Will the U.S. lock in a back three, or shift back to a traditional four? How will they adapt without Dest — and with Jedi Robinson on limited minutes? And if you bring four goalkeepers, shouldn’t at least two get a shot?Alexi reveals his Starting XI for the window — featuring Matt Freese in goal, a veteran back line, and Pulisic and Balogun leading the charge against Ecuador and Australia.Around the globe, World Cup qualifying gets wild: CAF, AFC, UEFA, and CONCACAF races all heating up, while MLS playoff spots hang in the balance with Messi’s Miami fighting for position and Jordi Alba’s farewell on the horizon.Then it’s #AskAlexi and One for the Road, where Alexi salutes Darlington Nagbe — one of the best to ever do it. Intro (0:00)3 Burning Questions for USMNT Window: Back 3 vs Back 4? (5:02)Alexi’s Best Starting XI (11:36)2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Preview (21:07)MLS Weekend Preview: Messi double duty? (32:42)#AskAlexi: Why the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a huge success (37:31)Happy Trails Darlington Nagbe - Alexi’s GOAT (44:39) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Serie A to the Championship, this week’s USMNT Abroad is packed with drama, goals, and global headlines. In Italy, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie faced off in Juventus vs AC Milan’s scoreless draw. Pulisic’s rare penalty miss ended his perfect start to the year. Over in Germany, Noahkai Banks scored his first-ever Bundesliga goal in front of his entire family. Does he deserve a call-up in the November window? In the Netherlands, Sergiño Dest returned for PSV, going 73 strong minutes, while Ricardo Pepi was left off the bench.  EPL delivered chaos as Tyler Adams helped Bournemouth climb into UCL contention, Chris Richards went the distance for Palace, and Brenden Aaronson started in Leeds’ narrow loss to Spurs. Are we hitting the panic button over Jedi Robinson’s situation with Fulham? In the Championship, Haji Wright stayed scorching hot, while Josh Sargent continues to slide. We also hit on Philadelphia’s Supporters’ Shield win, Messi’s hat-trick of assists, and UEFA’s controversial decision to approve domestic league games abroad, including LA Liga games in the United States.  CHAPTERS: Intro (0:00)Pulisic misses 2nd-ever pen (4:42)Dest & Jedi's injury status (10:00)UEFA matches Abroad: La Liga comes to US (25:46)MLS Recap: Union's Shield & Messi shines (31:09)MLS vs Europe: USMNT Roster Edition #AskAlexi (46:28)Pochettino's lack of communication (59:34) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The USMNT October roster is here and Alexi Lalas, Stu Holden & David Mosse break it all down. From Christian Pulisic’s red-hot form at AC Milan to Haji Wright’s goal surge in the Championship, we dive into the biggest snubs and storylines ahead of friendlies vs. Ecuador and Australia. Alexi, Mosse, and Stu debate whether Mauricio Pochettino’s latest squad is built for a back three or back four, and what the absences of Sergiño Dest, Ricardo Pepi, Yunus Musah, and Tyler Adams mean for World Cup prep. We highlight rising stars like Diego Luna, Patrick Agyemang, and Tanner Tessmann while asking: is this the best Pochettino roster so far? Plus, we react to the unveiling of the adidas FIFA World Cup 2026 official match ball, the TRIONDA, and rank the greatest FIFA World Cup balls of all time. Keepers: Four on the roster? (6:15)Backline: Back Three or Four? (8:33)Midfield: No Musah? (15:37)Forwards: Who starts up top? (22:25)Pochettino press conference quotes (26:38)TRIONDA reveal (39:52) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Stu Holden and John Strong join us as we recap all the Champions League action featuring USMNT stars: Yunus Musah delivers the game-winning assist for Atalanta, Tim Weah’s Marseille crush Ajax, Folarin Balogun’s Monaco draw Man City, and Weston McKennie battles in Juventus’ 2-2 thriller. We’ve also got updates on Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest’s injuries.Plus, the Baby Nats dominate the U-20 World Cup with a record-setting 9-1 win, while Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire stun Inter Miami in a wild MLS playoff-clincher. We close with thoughts on the USMNT back-three vs back-four debate ahead of October friendlies vs Ecuador and Australia. Make sure to join the conversation with #AskAlexi! Intro (0:00)Yunus Musah’s winning assists in UCL (9:55)U.S needs more McKennie leadership? (27:18)Gregg Berhalter’s Fire top Messi and Co. (43:29)Advice for Landon Donovan’s balding issue (48:27)Jurgen Klopp MLS praise (52:04) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this edition of State of the Union, we start in Paris, where Ousmane Dembélé took home the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or, edging out Barcelona phenom Lamine Yamal. Well deserved or a snub for the wunderkind? Then, it’s all about the USMNT. Fox Sports insider Doug McIntyre drops his 2026 World Cup roster projection and starting XI. From Matt Turner in goal to Christian Pulisic & Folarin Balogun leading the attack, Alexi Lalas and David Mosse opine on the 26-man roster. We analyze the surprises, snubs, and stars like Diego Luna and Chris Richards. Across Europe, we preview an exciting weekend for Americans abroad: Pulisic in red-hot form for AC Milan, McKennie vs. Musah in Serie A and Jedi Robinson making his Fulham return in the EPL. Plus, MLS rivalries heat up with NYRB vs. NYCFC and a Cascadia Cup showdown. Finally, we take listener questions in #AskAlexi, featuring the future of the USMNT after Mauricio Pochettino before we wrap with FIFA’s latest floated plans for World Cup expansion. Intro (0:00)Ballon d’Or (5:07)USMNT 2026 Roster Prediction (13:12)USMNT Abroad: Weekend Preview (27:25)#AskAlexi: Life after Pochettino (40:38)One for the Road: More World Cup expansion? (52:31) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this edition of State of the Union, Alexi Lalas and David Mosse break down Christian Pulisic’s best game to date for AC Milan with 2 goals and an assist in a 3-0 win over Udinese, passing Clint Dempsey as the all-time leading American scorer in Europe’s top 5 leagues. Malik Tillman scores for Bayer Leverkusen, Tanner Tessmann helps Lyon to victory, Tim Weah starts vs PSG, and Ricardo Pepi & Sergiño Dest feature in PSV’s thriller with Ajax. We also track Weston McKennie’s quiet weekend, Yunus Musah’s limited minutes, and an injury setback for Johnny Cardoso in La Liga. In MLS, Lionel Messi keeps Inter Miami’s Supporters’ Shield hopes alive with 2 goals and an assist, NYCFC clinches another playoff spot, and Denis Bouanga’s hat trick sends LAFC into the postseason. Plus, we field your questions in #AskAlexi and debate pro/rel in American soccer.  Intro (0:00)Pulisic breaks Dempsey’s record… where does he stand all-time? (5:45)Messi leads Miami to Victory (33:05)Jedi’s best position with USMNT (43:04) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Champions League delivered absolute madness this week. Ricardo Pepi endured a disappointing outing for PSV, while Weston McKennie’s Juventus clash with Dortmund turned into an eight-goal thriller. Over in Madrid, Tim Weah scored his first goal with his new club Marseille and made history with the first-ever USMNT goal at the Bernabéu. Is Timmy the USMNT’s best player right now? Elsewhere, Yunus Musah faced PSG’s firepower, Liverpool escaped Atletico at Anfield, and Bayern put Chelsea in their place. We also check in on USMNT Abroad, Chris Richards stepping up in Palace’s Carabao Cup win, Josh Sargent on finding his rhythm with the national team, and Quinn Sullivan’s stunner in the U.S. Open Cup. To wrap the show, the guys discuss the USMNT’s back 3 formation, Stu’s Starting XI for the next window, and big-picture questions on Pochettino’s first year with the USMNT. Intro (0:00) UEFA Champions League (6:55) USMNT Abroad: Chris Richards Steps Up (26:52) MLS/U.S. Open Cup (29:56) #AskAlexi: Is the Back 3 Formation to Stay? (33:26) One for the Road: Pochettino’s First Year with USMNT (43:31) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse are back to break down another electric weekend of club action! Over in Europe Ricardo Pepi makes noise in his Eredivisie return with a brace for PSV, while Gio Reyna earns his first start at Mönchengladbach and declares his FIFA World Cup ambitions. We break down Weston McKennie’s Juventus redemption, Yunus Musah’s Atalanta debut, and a tough loss for Brenden Aaronson and Leeds in England. Plus, a loaded MLS slate, including Idak Toklomati’s hat trick over Inter Miami, Thomas Müller’s birthday heroics, and Minnesota closing in on San Diego at the top of the West.The guys answer a question in #AskAlexi, on whether the USMNT’s win over Japan eases concerns heading toward the World Cup. We also dive into FIFA’s new international calendar shake-up, and Alexi takes us along on his trip to Chicago for “One for the Road.” Intro (0:00)Pepi Scores in PSV Return (8:13)Gio Reyna Starts and Declares National Team Ambitions (10:30)Serie A Round-Up & (13:27)Manchester Derby (20:48)Haji Wright vs Josh Sargent (26:38)Champions League Kicks Off (27:37)Thrilling MLS Weekend (28:51)#AskAlexi: USMNT Concerns Persist? (40:15)Alexi's Chicago Trip Recap (46:23)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse share their final reflections on the USMNT’s September window, where Folarin Balogun and Matt Freese continued to impress and a back-three formation showed real promise for the road to 2026. The guys also break down the latest World Cup Qualifying results, with 18 nations officially punching their tickets to next summer’s tournament.Looking ahead to the weekend, attention shifts back to club play as Yunus Musah eyes a potential debut with Atalanta. In #AskAlexi, the crew tackles World Cup questions—from the USMNT’s chances of advancing from the group stage to confusion over ticket pricing. Finally, the show closes with a heartfelt farewell to the legendary Ray Hudson. Intro (0:00)Final USMNT Thoughts (5:49)USMNT Stars of the Window (10:23)Mexico vs Korea Republic Recap (17:25)World Cup Qualifying (21:10)USMNT Abroad: Yunus Musah Debut En Route (34:40)MLS Weekend Preview (43:15)#AskAlexi: World Cup questions (47:30)Farewell to Ray Hudson (55:31) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices