2 Vintage Sports Guys - Episode 25

Join Joe and guest Ricky Goldman as they dissect the World Cup Semi-Final games and preview the Final game between Spain and Argentina! Who's this Messi guy?

Watch the exclusive video on BZZR:

https://bzzr.com/creator-studio/content?tab=videos&watch=true&videoId=r8RC87uTjsizVGMbU72f

https://bzzr.com/profile/EwjIXH8NQJbDYtvgfxe27PE3BQ53?watch=true&videoId=ensp77WNG68GlDLF69FK

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome back to Two Vintage Sports Guys. We are finishing up the World Cup before we get into six grueling weeks of just baseball, baseball, baseball. I have back one of my special guest hosts, Mr. Ricky Goldman. Ricky, give us your intro.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Hello, everybody. Good afternoon for all my fans out there today. Looking forward to talking about the World Cup from yesterday or last two days. And then uh, you know, training camp is football is around the corner, and of course, second half baseball.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Thank God when you're a Met fan and it was over in May. Like we just can't. I can't. I just can't. All right. So let's see. We're gonna talk about, we'll start with the uh Tuesday game that just passed. We had France and Spain. France was the favorite, and spoil alert, Spain beat him 2-0. What were some of the takeaways you got out of that?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

I think that Spain's defense has been dominating the whole tournament. They've only had one goal scored against them the whole time. So they've had nothing but clean sheets, and it didn't even happen on Tuesday because Mbappe was unable to penetrate, the whole offense was unable to penetrate Spain's defense, and you could just see it throughout the whole course of that match. And then you know, eventually Spain was able to break them with a penalty kick and then another goal on top of that. And you know, from that standpoint, France just did not have an answer, they didn't did not have an offense, and I think Spain's defense is gonna be difficult for Argentina on Sunday.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

So what was the one goal that Spain gave it up to? Which game was it? Do you know?

SPEAKER_00 1:47

It was uh oh my god, blanking. Who do you just play the week before?

SPEAKER_01 1:52

It was Spain versus if I would have known if I know I wouldn't ask. So why'd you have to it's not a pop quiz? I don't know, but whoever it was, it doesn't matter because they're watching like us from home on TV now, right? So but yeah, but okay, so Spain, I guess Spain's it's gonna be Spain's defense versus Messi and his team's off offense, even though Messi and his team's offense have like basically hit the snooze button until like the last five, ten minutes of every game they're playing here, right? And and and did it again with two late goals. And was Messi the one who hit the post?

SPEAKER_00 2:29

No, I mean Messi's the one who gave the assist both times. You know the thing about that match yesterday, the I watched the whole, I mean, I watched both of them, but the what was really important about yesterday's match is that England scored, right? Um, Anthony Gordon scored on a on a header that came to him from um Harry Kane. That was in the 53rd minute. And then from that point going forward, England did absolutely nothing on offense. All they did was go into like a pre-vent defense. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

You just said it. I was waiting, I was gonna say pre-vent defense, just like football. You play not to lose, and what happens?

SPEAKER_00 3:04

You lose. You lose. That's exactly what they did. They played a pre-vent defense, which was just embarrassing because they didn't do anything, England, and then all and you could just tell Argentina was extremely aggressive. They were bouncing everywhere, they were shooting, they were hitting the post. Their goaltender for England was amazing, um, just stopping everything that was being thrown at them. But eventually it it broke, right? Like in the 85th minute when Messi hit that cross over to Enzo Fernandez, and he, you know, he hit it. Or actually, no, he kicked it over to Enzo. Enzo had a skyrocketing shot from about 20 yards back out. And then in the 92nd minute, um, another it was basically a Messi cross over to the Taro Lotaro Martinez, who then hit it in. So it was just Argentina's offense the whole time, and they just were just over on top of them nonstop. And you know, you could fault the coach for England for not being more aggressive, even after they scored, because you can't just have one goal against Argentina. It was proven the week before with Egypt, even two goals was not enough.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

So if you look at the team stats, right, England had two shots on goal, and Argentina had five, right? So uh they and it was a very nice goal, right? Like, like you said, from England, but you can't against the reigning champions, you know, an icon player like Messi, you got to put them away. You can't just try to run out the clock, and that's what you get. You go home, right? So I mean, if you look, if you look at their stats, big chances created, one for England, three for Argentina, big chances missed, two for Argentina. So even though they made a late comeback, they could have really won the game 4-1, probably, if if things you know went a little different.

SPEAKER_00 5:01

The biggest factor in soccer in general is possession in Argentina. Argentina had a 64% possession compared to England at 36. That tells the whole story right there.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

Well, I think this is a pretty good stat if we're gonna geek it up. Accurate passes, 537 by Argentina, which is 91, versus 273, which is 84 for England. That's more than it's basically more than double. That that's a lot if you look at passes, right? Yeah, uh yeah. Other than that, you know, it pretty been. But I I don't think I think if if you're England, right, you you want to kick yourself in the head and you'll you know let it get away, but you you got you gotta you gotta you gotta go put the the champs away. You can't try to run out the clock, and that's where we go. All right, but that brings us, I think, to a great finale. So what's your thoughts on that and who are you picking?

SPEAKER_00 5:59

It's basically one versus two. I mean, I think everybody wants it, two Spanish-speaking countries, which has never been done since the very first World Cup between Uruguay and Argentina in 1930. So it's the first time you have two Spanish-speaking countries going at it, which is kind of great. Um, and I think he's gonna have you're gonna have an offensive team, which is Argentina, compared to Spain's defense, right? And the best midfield midfielders out there is you know, Danny Almo and Rodri from Spain going against, of course, Messi and his teammates. So it's gonna be a great match, and either it's gonna be offense or defense, but someone's gonna crack it. But I I think that Spain's defense is gonna hold off. And Lamin Yamal, actually, the best thing about this match coming up is watching Lamin Yamall versus Messi. Because I'm not sure you saw this, and I don't know whether that there's an accurate picture, but there was a picture that was broadcast of showing Messi like 15, 16 years ago with Lamin Yamall in a battub. Like he was like taking care of him in a battub. Did you see that picture? No, I did not, but I will post it as part of this.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

This uh it's hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

I look it looks like something that is you know kind of AI driven, but it it could be true because that you know, I showed a picture of when Messi had long hair when he was playing for Barcelona, so it probably could be accurate, but it's just kind of funny.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

So all right, so let me get it. Let me get you right. So you are taking Spain, right? I'm taking the favored Argentina, correct. I'm gonna take Spain. I'm sorry, why? I never mind. I said I will take Argentina because I don't think they've played great this tournament, but like champs, they've made sure they've come back and won every game, right? And here they are again in the final, and I just somehow seeing it happening again. I don't know if it comes down to another um shootout, right? Another penalty kick shootout at the end, but I mean uh let me ask you this question. Messi turned 39, right, during this uh 39 years old. You I mean, you got to give it to him, like running back and forth. If you were to compare all the major sports, what do you think's got it the hardest? Which sport for a 39-year-old to go out there and perform at a high level? Is it him having to run back and forth on that field versus the court size of a basketball court or ice hockey ring or baseball player or even a football player? Is is this potentially the hardest thing at 39 years old to compete with with people half your age out there?

SPEAKER_00 8:45

There's not too many Tom Brady's out there, right? Um, you know, yeah, but Tom Brady didn't have to run around at 39,000. I understand, but he still had, you know, he still had big guys coming after him. Um, you know, you don't see too many 39-year-old basketball players going up and down the court either. Sure, you got LeBron down at 40. Um, baseball players, you do see more baseball players, especially pitchers, pitching later in the career. Are they great? Some the best are, but you know, it's right. But I guess what I'm going to. I know you're going to. I think conditioning wise, I think Messi at 39 is probably the best athlete out there. And I'm not even a soccer, I'm not even a soccer fan. Neither are I. And I can just tell these guys were these guys are running 10 miles a day or a match, is what they're running. 10 miles a match is what they said. So it's it's impressive. They're sprinting it off. I'm surprised at his age, he's not pulling a hammy, you know? Because people are that age running at full speed would be pulling something, right? And he hasn't done it. So I think in his case, I give him all the credit there.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

Yeah, I mean, 39 years old playing with kids half your age, running back and forth on that field is just insane.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

But he can be he could be Lamine's kid. I mean, kid seriously could be his own kid. So anyway.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

Yeah, I mean, that's that's just nuts. All right, cool. I think um, you know, I I think the sad part is only speaking for myself, I don't watch soccer or football, whatever you want to call it here. And I enjoyed the last World Cup and that great finish, and then I went back to sleep soccer-wise for four more years until we got here.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Well, you know what's gonna happen on Monday, this upcoming Monday. The word offsides is only gonna mean some big defensive lineman crossing over and tackling a quarterback beforehand. That's what offsides is gonna be. We're gonna go back to the what we think of offsides versus what the rest of the world thinks of offsides.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

So actually, when I think of upsides, I think of hockey, but which is very similar to soccer, right? But I get you. I get you. I love I love American football just as well. But all right, well, we got a great final. We've we've had we had a great semifinal. It's been honestly, it's been a great World Cup. Um, good comebacks, good, uh, I think what was it two or three that ended with penalty shots? I know I saw like two back-to-back, like the two games.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

I think there were four. There was penalty kicks, and that's actually my favorite of the tournament is watching that. At first, you would think this is dumb, like this is the terrible way to end it, but it's probably the most gut-wrenching for anyone, especially with a goaltender. I mean, think about it, or the goalie. I mean, here he is, he has to tick a guess. It's incredible. And if anyone can stop it, I'm impressed.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

Uh yeah, I agree. I what I guess, and again, not a fan, so uh the label players should be telling them how to alter their game. But I'm surprised, you know, like if the MLS or any other European, you know, clubs and leagues wanted to do it like that, it's the same thing with hockey. But come playoff time, you can't end the game on penalty shots, right? Like in hockey or like the same thing called playoffs. I'm surprised. I mean, how long could you keep them out there running after two 15-minute overtime periods? I guess that's why they kind of do it. They have to be exhausted, right? I guess what I'm saying is how many 15-minute overtime things could you keep going if they're not scoring, right? Before they just actually have heat stroke and pass out on the on the grass out there. But it's kind of when you lose that way.

SPEAKER_00 12:25

Yeah. We've seen finale's. I mean, we saw in 1994 when Italy got beat by Brazil. That I don't know what the guy's name is, but he's the famous guy from Italy who missed that goal, and that was what changed right there. The the penalty kick, I should say. Um, and then of course, and then for women's in 1999 with uh Brandy Chastain, remember that? That was a penalty kick. She took off her shirt.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

I I will continue to advocate for this for those two 15-minute overtime periods, remove at least one or two players off that field, open it up, score. And every other sport has made modifications over time, you know. Like I why not soccer?

SPEAKER_00 13:11

Well, well, you know what they should probably do is just go back to a golden goal because you know they have two halves in extra time, so they have a 15-minute going each direction. Even if you score, you still get the other team gets a chance to score again. I think if we really want to kind of reduce it, then I think a golden goal, if you do it in hockey, would probably be one way of doing it. So all right.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Well, we'll see if they do anything like that. But all right, well, we're set up for it. I think we've covered the basics, and I we're gonna call it there. So say goodbye, Mr. Goldman, and thank you for your uh your guest spot.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

Goodbye, everyone. Thank you very much. And uh, you know, are we doing a wager here for this match? Because if so, uh, you know, I'll take Spain.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

Oh, yeah, I'll take Argentina, put it down for a lunch.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Uh lunch, actually.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

We'll collect it in uh in December.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

All right, perfect. Thank you guys very much. We'll be talking uh baseball, football next time. Thank you at all. Take care. Remember to follow us and enjoy the cup.