Pochettino Defends MLS, Balogun Joins the Squad, Messi and Miami Are Set for Leagues Cup Final

Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast

Pochettino Defends MLS, Balogun Joins the Squad, Messi and Miami Are Set for Leagues Cup Final
The September international window is here, and Mauricio Pochettino has made his final roster decisions before the USMNT’s friendlies against Korea Republic and Japan. Alexi Lalas and David Mosse react to the late addition of Folarin Balogun, Pochettino’s communication (or lack thereof) with stars like Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, and Joe Scally, and what this camp means for fresh faces fighting to earn a spot. Why no Weston McKennie or Matt Turner this time around? Plus, the guys dive into Pochettino’s strong defense of MLS and what it means for national team players in the league.
Around the globe, we track Americans in action across Europe’s top leagues—Gio Reyna officially teams up with Joe Scally at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Christian Pulisic and AC Milan look to rebound from tough loss, and Josh Sargent aims to stay red-hot in the Championship. Back home, we set the stage for MLS’ top-of-the-table battles and preview the Leagues Cup Final.
Stick around for One for the Road as we look ahead to Alexi’s weekend in Columbus discussing the Road to the World Cup.

Intro (0:00)
Roster Update: Balogun Joins the Squad (5:10)
Pochettino Defends MLS (16:27)
USMNT Abroad (23:51)
UCL Fixtures (36:30)
MLS Top of the Table Clashes (37:20)
Seattle and Miami Set for Leagues Cup Final (38:50)
#AskAlexi: MLS Salary Caps (42:20)
Road to World Cup (47:30)

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