We're Talking Sports Ep. 6 - Christopher DeSimone

**Will Peña** (0:47)
The music is still going on. Welcome to another edition here on Live The Dream Media.
We are, We're Talking Sports, Ron.

**Ron Arenas** (0:55)
We're Talking Sports with Will and Ron.

**Will Peña** (0:57)
Yeah, and let's talk sports with Mr. DeSimone.

**Ron Arenas** (1:00)
With Chris DeSimone, yeah. Yeah, we can do that.

**Will Peña** (1:05)
So, special show we got today. Big day, it's FIFA day, right? It's World Cup day?

**Ron Arenas** (1:10)
It's World Cup day, yes. Yes, they're gonna start playing today.

**Will Peña** (1:13)
So, when we're gonna talk FIFA, soccer, there's one person that comes to mind. That is Mr. Chris DeSimone.

**Ron Arenas** (1:21)
Yep.

**Christopher DeSimone** (1:22)
It is true.

**Ron Arenas** (1:23)
Yeah, I agree with you.

**Will Peña** (1:24)
Yeah. So, we're gonna let him take it away and just run it out, we'll grab a sandwich, we'll be right back.

**Christopher DeSimone** (1:32)
You guys ask me questions. We're gonna test you on your questions today.

**Ron Arenas** (1:36)
Oh, okay.

**Christopher DeSimone** (1:37)
And all the homework you did, complete up to this interview.

**Will Peña** (1:40)
All right, let's just start with the first one then here. I was reading here that Spain is the favorite going in right now.

**Christopher DeSimone** (1:48)
Yes, sir.

**Will Peña** (1:49)
How do you feel about that?

**Christopher DeSimone** (1:53)
I don't, I mean, they're always a very solid team across the board. There's this very young stunt named Yamil Lamal, who is 18 years old. He's very talented. They're telling us that depending on how this kid plays, would push them how deep they go.

**Ron Arenas** (2:12)
That makes sense, yep.

**Christopher DeSimone** (2:13)
Again, they're always a toughy. They're not in my top two, but they are to be reckoned with, and if I found them in the semifinals, one of the top four spots, I would not be surprised.

**Ron Arenas** (2:24)
Okay.

**Christopher DeSimone** (2:25)
That's all right.

**Will Peña** (2:25)
All right. Well, let's go to the obvious here. How is the US looking right now? How are they gonna fair in this?

**Christopher DeSimone** (2:33)
I'm not a fan.

**Will Peña** (2:36)
Okay, what makes you not a fan?

**Christopher DeSimone** (2:38)
I love America. I just want to tell everyone first.
I like the coach, but this is one of the better coaches we've had in the last few years. See, I did it again. See, I'm moving on. Even when I'm not on hosting Wake Up, I'm screwing with Portia and my framing. It's gonna be her constant across the bear around here with me.

**Ron Arenas** (2:57)
She gets paid extra whenever you're here. Oh, my Lord.

**Christopher DeSimone** (3:01)
Clinton and Dave are giving her danger pay.

**Ron Arenas** (3:03)
Yes, that's hazard pay. Chris has her pay.

**Christopher DeSimone** (3:07)
So I was gonna say is I like Pochettino Marizio, our coach, okay? I think he brings a level of professionalism, but also he has everyone's respect.
The past two guys, especially the previous, the previous guy, Greg Berhalter, was a train wreck.

**Ron Arenas** (3:25)
He wasn't there that long, was he?

**Christopher DeSimone** (3:27)
Well, remember they kind of let him go, but then they brought him back, and that was even a bigger train wreck, right? And then we had the whole thing with his, the parents of Gio Reina, who's one of our, one of our better players, he played with Craig, Greg Berhalter, his dad played with him younger.

**Ron Arenas** (3:45)
This is the weird crap.

**Christopher DeSimone** (3:47)
I'm just gonna say, right? So I think Marizio is, I think he's a good coach, very good coach, but because he has a lot of experience coaching in Europe, right?
It's different than an MLS coach would, maybe some of these guys who play in Europe may not respect as much. So I think he commands the respect. And there is talent on the team. It's not like there's not talent on the team. And so my biggest problem with the US team is, I think they're low on character. There's no on-field general, right? Every good team has that one on-field, whether they're officially the captain or not.

**Ron Arenas** (4:27)
They need someone to take charge.

**Christopher DeSimone** (4:29)
I don't see it. Christian Polisic is not it. He's a talented young man, but he's got his own issues. He is not a leader-esque guy, no matter how much his agents want to call him Captain America. Right?
So, I mean, don't get me wrong, I think Anthony Robinson could be that guy. But I think the other problem with us is, and I said this earlier, is I just, so when someone said to me, what do you think success looks like for the US, right? Because there's group stages and there's knockout stages after that. And most people will tell you, and Greg said it earlier, if they win a knockout game after getting out of their group, that's a success. You know what I want? They should get out of their group. Right. Okay. And we'll talk about their group in a second. But if they...