Men in Blazers 01/14/22: WGFOP: Weekend Preview

"The reality is if you want to be a consistent national team player, you must be playing at a consistently good level in Europe."Herc had a candid conversation with Matt Miazga, considered one of the top defenders in Major League Soccer. Their discussion revolved around all aspects of football, starting from Matt's early days in the NY Redbulls Academy, his experience playing for Chelsea and what's like being managed by Vincent Kompany on his days at Anderlecht in Belgium, and his memories of the rivalry with the Mexican national team, which included the famous viral incident involving Diego Lainez. They also talked about his current life as a player for FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rog is joined LIVE by The Athletic's James Horncastle to break down all the Champions League Quarterfinals action. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

THE BIGGEST CLUB NEVER TO HAVE WON IN EUROPE. Yes, Arsenal fans, we're talking about your team. And no, the UEFA Cup Winners Cup doesn't count. But with the Gunners taking a step back in their hunt for a league trophy over the weekend, their best chance at victory this season may now be in the Champions League. Rog and New York Times chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith deep dive into the history of Arsenal to look back at just exactly how they became one of the biggest clubs in Europe, why legendary manager Arsene Wenger managed to do everything but lift the Champions League trophy, and whether or not Mikel Arteta's current squad have a legitimate shot at European glory.Then, Rog and Rory hop on over to the Europa League to look at giant-killers Atalanta, fresh off of slaying Liverpool at Anfield in the first leg of their semi-final matchup. Just how did this little club from Bergamo become so successful? And what is the ceiling to their success? All of this and more on the latest European Nights...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

WHEN THREE BECOMES ONE. Rog and Rory Smith break down losses for Liverpool and Arsenal that leave Manchester City atop the title race leaderboard. Plus, Leverkusen clinch the Bundesliga title, dethroning Bayern and ending their streak of 11-straight titles. And Wrexham are going up.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

IT'S THE WEEKEND! This is WGFOP, presented by PrizePicks. Bring on a weekend gloriously free of Evertonian despair, but packed full of a daytime soap’s worth of storylines, as we enter the “Mind Games” territory of an unprecedented title race. 3 teams separated by a single point. The Premier League has not experienced this in its history. Let’s enjoy every second. Courage.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Liga MX versus Major League Soccer is the narrative we always feed into every single year in the CONCACAF Champions Cup"Herc talked with Eric Gomez, a friend of the house who works for ESPN Deportes, about all things Mexican football. They discussed Santi Gimenez's dry run with Feyenoord and with "El Tri", cleared up rumors that linked Mallorca's manager Javier Aguirre to the Mexican National Team, and debated on "Liga MX vs MLS" after this week's CONCACAF Champions Cup drama.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rog is joined by Daniel Storey, chief football writer of Britain's "i" newspaper, to break down all of the Champions League Quarterfinal action. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

THE GAME THAT CHANGED THE WORLD. Like Seal or Beyonce, it needs only one name: "La Remontada" or "The Comeback" in English. Ahead of Barcelona's clash with PSG in this week's Champions League slate, Rog and New York Times chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith revisit that glorious night in the spring of 2017 when Barca fought back from down 4-0 on aggregate in their Champions League Round of 16 matchup against PSG, going on to score six (yes, six!) goals in the second leg, including three from the 87th minute beyond. Rog and Rory breakdown how that game would forever alter the landscape of world football, prompting PSG to sign Neymar for unthinkable amounts of money, sending Barcelona into a financial tailspin, and wreaking havoc on the global transfer market.Then, Rog and Rory head to Athens to deep dive on Greece's domestic powerhouse Olypmiacos, including their hot headed, shipping magnate, songwriting, potentially match-fixing, multi-hyphenate owner Evangelos Marinakis (who just so happens to also own Nottingham Forest). Plus, Rory gives him recommendation on where to find (and, more importantly, how to pronounce) the best gyros in Athens. All this and more on the latest European Nights....See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"We were on the way to the airport with my family when I got the call with Gregg Berhalter to play Concacaf Nations League. I was really happy but I couldn't share it with my family because they were excited for me to go on vacation with them."Rog is joined by Haji Wright, Coventry City striker and freshly minted CONCACAF Nations League champion. He told the story of his soccer journey that began in the playing fields of Los Angeles and continued with a grand tour of Europe's top football leagues. He has faced challenges and overcome them, becoming stronger and more skilled. Achieving remarkable moments for both his club and his nation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

WHAT IN THE MAINOO JUST HAPPENED? Rog and Rory marvel at a back-and-forth 2-2 derby draw between Liverpool and Manchester United. Plus, Arsenal are Top the Table. And Everton are... not Top of the Table. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.