Arsenal vs. Liverpool: The Hunters Become the Hunted

HAIL GFOP

I type with fingers honored and humbled by all that is to come: Yesterday, we announced our World Cup Tour, “This Cup’s For You 🇺🇸” Yes, the Men in Blazers team will travel from sea to shining sea to revel in every single transcendent goal, surprise win, and Richarlison mortal injury from which he miraculously, instantly recovers from. We have often said on this pod that the power of the World Cup lies in its ability to create some of the most powerful collective memories shared worldwide. Let’s make them together, in person in New York City, Philly, D.C., Austin, Atlanta, St. Louis, LA, San Fran, Seattle, and Nashville. Rally your friends and family. Don your finest polyester shirts. Bring your signs. Raise a bloody Tifo if you want. We don’t have to go to Qatar, America! Let’s win the World Cup together, no matter what happens on the field. Grab your tickets here and know that I cannot wait to raise a glass with you and all the guests we will share the stage with.

It is honestly the honor of a lifetime to savor football with you in person like this and to go to the pub after the show and meet you in person. There is so much going on in the world – to be honest, there is so much going on at MiB – it is important to take pause and savor what we have to share together that is positive. More, much more below. For now. Courage. 🇺🇸

🍻 Few weeks have made us thirst for a third first Bud of the Day more. It is a good job we (and, you, dear GFOPs) can order Budweiser via Drizly and get $5 off your first order when you use the code: BUDXMIB Courtesy of Drizly. New Drizly users only. Must be 21+. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Per applicable law, value may be applied towards order total or shipping or delivery fees. Includes orders of non-alcoholic items. Void where prohibited. Expires on 12/31/22 at 11:59 EDT. 🍻

It has been a crazy, crazy, crazy time at MiB. We are right in the belly of the World Cup frenzy. Two more massive launches this week:

A. 🚨New Pod Series Coming: Our Qatar Podcast “World Corrupt” Debuts on Saturday 🚨

Tomorrow, we drop the first installment of a six-part series mashup with the folks at Crooked Media and "Pod Save America" and "Pod Save the World's" Tommy Vietor. "World Corrupt" is an exploration of the complexities and moral conundrums brought on by the football competition we hold so dear being staged in Qatar, a country with an atrocious human rights record, who won World Cup hosting duties corruptly, and then built the tournament’s infrastructure with labor laws that have been likened to modern slavery.

Episode 1 examines the idea of sportswashing and the way autocracies and dictators have co-opted past World Cups for political gain. We are so proud of this Podcast, the trailer of which is available HERE. If you listen and like it, we ask that you please share it with a friend or seven. The geopolitical complexities of this World Cup have forced us all to confront layers of darkness that coat the game we love. This Podcast is us attempting to educate ourselves and square this moral circle. As always, send us feedback to [email protected].

B. Gods of Soccer. I don't know if you heard, BUT WE WROTE A BOOK!!!

📚 Tuesday is Publication Day at Men in Blazers. The day we give birth to our new beautiful, full-color volume, "Gods of Soccer." So one final thank you to all the GFOPs who have blown us away by pre-ordering this beauty. It means the world to us. And we cannot wait to share it with all of you. It is a gorgeous object. I have always loved reading "Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls" with my kids. I hope this book – with Nate Kitch’s truly beautiful illustrations - will be something like that for football, and help Americans who have been tuning into World Cups since 2010 fill in a lot of the Pele-Maradona-Mia Hamm-Briana Scurry backstories that they missed. Pre-order before Sunday at 3pm ET to receive your invite to our Virtual Celebration Thank You Event. If you have already pre-ordered make sure to fill out the form HERE. We love you GFOPs. 📚

Brace yourself for a lot of Rog. Next week, we will be on Morning Joe, WWHL, All Things Considered (Tuesday) and Good Morning Football (Thursday.)

2. To the Football

i. Arsenal vs. Liverpool (Sunday, 11.30 AM ET, USA)

The Hunters have become the Hunted. How Liverpool of seasons past would revel in the prospect of back-to-back games against Arsenal and Manchester City. That top o’ the table duo form a queasier prospect this season. Yes, Arsenal have not scored against Liverpool the last six times they have met, but Klopp is aware how vulnerable his team are right now, resisting the urge to declare his Liverpool were “back” after defanging Rangers midweek. His goal for the weekend, against an ebullient, swaggering, league-leading Arsenal, who appear to have picked up the Reds’ token-title-challenge baton is, “We have to defend the sh*t out of everybody we face.”

More: As Liverpool face beginning of a grueling run, CEO Billy Hogan admits they have a plan for finishing outside of the Top 4.

Arteta and the influence of Pep in the Arsenal rebuild.

ii. Chelsea vs. Wolves (Sunday, 10 AM ET, P’Cock)

After easing past Milan and righting the Champions League ship, the world will watch to see how Graham Potter pushes on against toothless, manager-less Wolves, fusing a rejuvenated Auba around an English core. America will watch to see just how far Pulisic is down the Potter depth-chart.

iii. City vs. Southampton (Saturday, 10 AM ET, P'Cock)

The only undefeated team in English football face a free falling squad who have lost three on the trot. I wince at the prospect of this game. Erling Haaland scored twice midweek as Manchester City steamrolled FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. The Norwegian Goal Robot has now scored 19 times in 12 City appearances. In this one, I fear he is going to smash Roger Maris’s Home Run total and Joey Chestnut’s hot dog intake within 90 minutes.

iv. Brighton vs. Tottenham (Saturday, 12.30 PM ET, NBC Proper)

An all-Italian Manager clash as Fourth play Third. Goals have suddenly stalled for Antonio Conte’s constipated defensive project. De Zerbi will hope that joyous ophthalmology aficionado Trossard can once again run amok.

v. Everton vs. Manchester United (Sunday, 2 PM ET, USA)

On Wednesday, Everton completed 10,000 days without a trophy. I was chuffed when I first heard the news. It has felt more like 100,000 if we are being honest. But. Man. When I thought about it, have we Everton fans collectively participated in the most meaningless execution of a Malcolm Gladwell idea? Perfecting Losing. Or “Not Winning” as my Dad likes to say. What do we have to lose this weekend? Our “best defensive record in the league.” Manchester United are attempting to stay positive after last weekend’s Derby demolition. “Thank you for the lesson” exclaimed Ten Hag, but Everton know the closest thing they have to an Erling Haaland is if 5’6” Neal Maupay sits on Dwight McNeil’s shoulders.

More: Everton are drawing takeover interest from George Soros’ nephew.

Tricky Trees News: Bottom of the table Nottingham Forest do not play until Monday, but news broke this morning that manager Steve Cooper, rumored to be out earlier this week, has instead signed a new contract until 2025. Houdini much? It seems Forest only had to speak to Rafa Benitez once to realize they are better off staying with their man.

3, Game O’Games: England vs. USA in front of a sold-out Wembley (TODAY! 3 PM ET, Fox) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇺🇸

First of all, a seismic game, before a delirious sold-out crowd, will be played in the shadows of this week’s unbearable news broken by the 300-page Yates report. An emotionally devastating read, detailing, among many counts of abuse, numerous accounts of blatant, horrifying sexual misconduct, including some that have not been previously made public, and the failures of those in positions of power to act on those allegations when brought to them, across every level. Youth. Professional. Club and Country.

Baseline is this: I cannot begin to imagine what it must feel like for players reading through that report, looking to their clubs and their national team, and understanding that those in power chose to protect predatory men over them. Megan Rapinoe said yesterday, “As sick as this sounds, I feel like we’re used to having to take on so much more than gameplan and tactics.” But it should not have to be this way. Football is a game which brings such joy, yet the sickening, all-pervasive behaviors that were not just allowed, but enabled here, are a human horror. It is clear that enormous, enormous changes must occur. Accountability cannot be escaped. In the words of Mana Shim, Sinead Farrelly, and Erin Simon, “No one involved has taken any responsibility for the clear role they played in harming players…it is time for action, accountability, and change.”

More: U.S. players angry and exhausted. There has been a “severance of trust.”

To support the players: Meghann Burke of the Players Union suggested supporting this fund.

B. There is a game on the field, though I can’t imagine how the US players have the emotional bandwidth to play it. To take the field proudly to represent their nation, knowing that their organizing body enabled abusers, leaving them exposed, vulnerable, and suffering. Essentially, banking on these players’ desperate desire to grow the game keeping them silent. There will be a joint protest with both teams wearing “Teal armbands to stand in solidarity with sexual violence survivors.”

The game itself will be immense. It has been so long since this young U.S. squad have played an opponent of any merit. England swing in fresh off their dazzling Euro title. They truly fancy their chances to deliver the ultimate statement victory ahead of next summer’s World Cup. This piece sets out the stakes and captures the essence of the game: England face best in world but fear factor has gone.

More: Wales. Well played. One step nearer the first World Cup with this wondergoal.

4. This Week in Blazers

i. It started Monday with a Men in Blazers Podcast that welcomed the Premier League back into our loving arms. We talked the Norwegian Meat Shield's Manc Derby hat trick, an imperious Arsenal, and whether Todd Boehly is an exclamation point kind of guy!!! LISTEN HERE.

ii. Tuesday, European Nights, Presented by Paramount+ was back with Rog and The New York Times' Chief Soccer Correspondent Rory Smith going deep on the history and ethos of Ajax. One of global football's most romantic and spellbinding tales. Plus, a closer look at Jordan Pefok's Union Berlin. A team that has surprised the Bundesliga this season and one that is steeped in history, with a group of supporters who bled (literally, they gave blood for money) to keep the club going. THIS EPISODE is Top Five. And we go again with Rory next week. Look for a new episode Tuesday.

iii. Wednesday, we released the very first edition of our American States United Newsletter, a weekly offering from MiB in which we'll recap the weekend that was for all of our best and brightest American stars plying their trade in the world's biggest leagues. SUBSCRIBE HERE

iv. And Thursday, we released a new episode of The Women's Game, Presented by Paramount+ with the USWNT and Chicago Red Stars' Tierna Davidson. We analyzed the NWSL playoff picture and the USWNT's massive matchup against England today. LISTEN HERE

v. This evening, we're going to Do It Live! at the final whistle of England vs. USA 🍻That is right, today at 5 p.m. ET TODAY, we're going on Amp to celebrate this clash between defending World Cup Champs and defending European Champs in front of a sold-out Wembley. If you aren't already on Amp, do you even Horan?! Download the app HERE, give us a follow @meninblazers and get notified every time we go live. You can also listen to us without the app on your desktop HERE or say, "Hey Alexa, play Men in Blazers" while we're live and you'll hear the show. Today. 5 p.m. ET. We'll DO IT LIVE!

vi. As we said above, the world of women’s football has been living in the Yates report’s shadow this week. Shortly after the report was made public, ESPN released a documentary "E60: Truth Be Told," looking into the roots of those allegations and the crises they sparked for the NWSL. Producer Sophie, who edits The Women's Game, watched the film that evening and writes, "It is a very difficult watch, but ultimately a hopeful one -- hope that the courage of women like Mana Shim, Sinead Farrelly and Erin Simon to speak up will lead to genuine accountability and change." Stream the E60 Truth Be Told on ESPN+ today. Truth Be Told, as well as the entire critically acclaimed E60 library, is available exclusively on ESPN+. Sign up now at www.espnplus.com/gfop.

5. Happy Der Klassiker Weekend! Dortmund vs. Bayern (Saturday, 12.30 PM ET, ESPN+)🇩🇪

A game which traditionally feels like Der Super Bowl across Germany has the unusual context of Bayern sitting in third and Dortmund one place behind them, with Union Berlin and Freiburg above both.

More: Der Klassiker could come down to Jude Bellingham vs. Jamal Musiala duel.

6. Paul Carr Blows Your Mind 🤯 🤯 🤯

Our weekly stats section in which Paul Carr, my numbers loving friend who is TruMedia’s Senior Director of Content, crunches his calculator.

🤯 Matt Turner made three saves in shutting out Norwegian champion Bodø / Glimt yesterday. He’s the fourth American in the last decade to keep a Europa League clean sheet, joining Ethan Horvath, Tim Howard and Brad Friedel.

🤯 Only four Americans played in UEFA Champions League midweek (Josh Cohen, Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman), the fewest in the last 12 UCL group matchdays, since the third matchday of the 2020 group stage.

🤯 Attendance for today’s England-USWNT match at Wembley is expected to be over 80,000, which will likely make it the second-highest attendance recorded at a U.S. women’s game, trailing only the 90,125 at the Rose Bowl for the 1999 World Cup final.

7. Not Football, and all the Better for It

i. The Instagram capital of the world is a terrible place to be. Major plot twist when the writer reveals that the instagram capital of the world is not that one cheesy mural in downtown Austin.

ii. The Versatility of Silog: How Making Breakfast Is a Hallmark of the Filipino American Experience. Happy Filipino American History Month! My friend Abi makes some of the most delicious treats I've had in my life, and everyone should buy her cookbook when it's out!

iii. The real lesson of ‘Bros’: It’s OK to let gay art bomb. It's also OK to make bad romcoms!! We'll watch them on planes and rainy self-loathing Sundays!! You're doing god's work out there.

iv. How to Recycle a 14-Story Office Tower. So Dutch it hurts.

v. A Vermont Valley Is Back to the Future and Back to the Land. Vermont. Chef's Kiss.

vi. The death of chic. Am I crazy or has chic in English always been derogatory.

vii WHY CAN'T MY DOG JUST PEE ON THE TREE? Writer comes in so hot and then learns an important lesson about urine toxicity and arbor preservation. Great morality tale.

viii. 3 common thinking traps and how to avoid them, according to a Yale psychologist. One time my dad told our family that because the number of ancestors you have increases exponentially the further back you go, eventually there comes a point when you mathematically have to be descended from everyone who was alive on earth at the time and this is a good example of a thinking trap because the more you think about it the less sense it makes. I am no Yale psychologist but I like to avoid it by blasting music extremely loudly at all times to drown out the sound of my mind.

ix. The wild story of the fishing cheating scandal that could lead to anglers being arrested. All I have to say about this is: Bruce, you know that guy we got in the tank?

x. Are You the Same Person You Used to Be? If you ever meet the person you used to be on the street a good tip is to aggressively avoid eye contact and turn the corner immediately.

xi. Christian Bale Keeps Trying to Quit Hollywood. Christian Bale could have quit Hollywood after Newsies (1992) and in my heart he'd still be one of the greatest actors in cinema history.

xii. Luca Guadagnino on His Lovelorn Bones and All Cannibals. "How a movie can make the impossible possible."

That is it for today. Savor the football we will share this weekend. Make great memories. Never take a second for granted.

Big Love

Courage

ROG